University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


FROM  THE  PAPERS  OF 
ROGER  LEVENSON 


THE 


LIFE 


O  F 


Dr.  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN 


WRITTEN     BY    HIMSELF* 


SALEM: 

PRINTED  FOR  GUSHING  AND  CARLTON,  AT  THE* 

8  I  B  L  S  AND  H  E  A  *  T  . 
1796. 


P  ;R  E  F  A  C  E. 


IT  is  already  known  to  many,  that  Dr.  Franklin  amufed  him- 
fclf,  towards  the  dole  of  his  lite,  with  writing  memoirs  oC 
hii  own  hiftory.  Thefe  memoirs  were  brought  down  to  the  yeav 
17^7.  Together  with  fome  other  manufcripts  they  were  left  be 
hind  him  at  his  death,  and  were  coafidfrred  as  confirming  part 
of  his  pofthumous  property.  It  is  a  little  extraordinary  that* 
under  thefa  circunTtances,  interefting  as  they  are,  from  the  ce 
lebrity  of  the  character  of  which  they  treat,  and  from  the  critical 
lituation  of  the  prefent  times,  they  fhculd  fo'  long  have  been 
withheld  from  the  Public.  A  tranflation  of  them  appeared  in 
Trance  aear  two  years  ago,  coming  down  to  the  year  1731.  There 
ean  be  no-fufficient  reaibu,  that  what  has  thus  been  fubmitted 
to  the  per ufa I  of  Europe,  mould  not  be  made  acceffible  to  thofo 
to. whom  Dr.  Franklin's  language  is  native.  The  firft  part  of 
the  hii'tory  of  his  life  is  tranflated  from  that  publication. 

The  flylc  of  thefe  memoirs  is  uncommonly  pleafing.  Tlie  ftory 
is  told  with  tlie  mod  unreferved  fincerity,  and  without  any  falfe 
colouring  or  ornament.  We  fee,  in  every  page,  that  the  author 
examined  his  fubjedl  with  the  eye  of  a  matter,  and  related  no 
incidents,  the  fprings  and  origin  of  which  he  did  not  perfedtfy 
underflaml.  It  is  this  that  giv«s  fuch  exquilite  and  uncommon 
pet  fpicuity  to  the  detail,  and  delight  in  the  review.  The  tranf- 
Jator  has  endeavoured,  as  he  went  along,  to  conceive  the  proba 
ble  manner  in  which  Dr.  Franklin  expreiled  his  ideas  in  his 
Engliih  manulcript,  and  he  hopes  to  be  forgiven  if  this  inquiry 
{hall  occafionaUy  have  fubje&ed  him  to  the  charge  of  a  ftyle  in 
any  refpeil  bald  or  low  :  to  imitate  the  admirable  fimplicity  of 
the  author,  is  no  eafy  taflc. 

The  public  will  be  amufed  with  following  a  great  philofopher 
in  relaxations,  and  obferving  in  what  relpe&s  his  phi'ofophy 
tends  to  elucidate  and  improve  the  molt  common  Xubjecls. 

The  editor  lubjoins  a  letter  from  the  late  celebrated  and-arnw- 
ble  Dr.  Price,  to  a  gentleman  in  Philadelphia,  upon  the  fubjert 
of  Dr.  Franklin's  memoirs  of  his  own  life. 

Hackney •>  ^uns  ?gi  17^9, 
"DEAR  SIR, 

•*  I  AM  hardly  able  to  tell  you  how  kindly  I  take  the  letters 
with  which  you  favour  me.  Your  laft,  containing  an  account 

* 


[  if  ] 

*f  the  death  of  our  excellent  friend  Dr.  Pi'anldin,  and  the  elr* 
cumftances  attending  it,  dcferves  my  particular  gratitude.  The 
account  whuh  he  has  left  of  his  life  will  mow,  in  a  linking  ex 
ample,  how  a  man,  by  talents,  induftry,  and  integrity,  may  rife 
from  obfcurhy  to  the  firjft  eminence  and  confequence  in  the 
world  ;  but  it  brings  his  hiftory  no  lower  than  the  year  1757, 
and  I  underftand  that  fince  he  fent  over  the  copy,  which  I  have 
read,  he  has  been  able  to  make  no  additions  to  it.  It  is  with  a 
melancholy  regret  I  think  of  his  death  :  but  to  death  we  are  ail 
bound  by  the  irreverfible  order  of  nature;  and  ia  looking  forward 
to  it,  there  is  comfort  in  being  able  to  reflect — that  we  have  not 
lived  in  vain,  and  that  all  the  ufeful  and  virtuous  (hall  meet  in 
a  better  country  beyond  the  grave. 

"  Dr.  Fianklin,  in  the  laft  letter  I  received  frcni  him,  after 
mentioning  his  age  and  infirmities,  obferves,  that  it  has  been 
kindly  ordered  by  the  Author  of  nature,  that,  as  we  draw  nearer 
the  conclullon  of  lifei  we  are  furnifhed  with  more  helps  to  vveaa 
us  from  it ;  among  which,  one -of  the  ftrongeft  ii  the  lofs  of  dc«r 
jfriends.  I  was  delighted  with  the  account  you  gave  in  your  let- 
*ter  of  the  honour  (hewn  to  his  memory  at  Pnihdelphia,  and  by 
Congrefs  ;  and  yefierday  I  received  a  high  additional  pleafure, 
by  being  informed  that  the  National  Afiembly  of '"Trance  had 
determined  to  go  in  mourning  for  him. — What  *  glorious  fcene 
is  opened  there!  The  annals  of  the  world  furnhh  no  parallel t« 
it.  One  of  the  honours  cf  cuj  departed  friend  ii,  that  he  has 
contributed  joauch  to  it. 

I  am,  with  great  refpecU 
Your  obliged  and  ver/ 
humble  iervant, 
RICHARD  PRICE,'1 


T  f  I  E 


L  •    I       F       E 


O  F 


DR.  BENJAMIN   FRANKLIN. 


MY    DEAR    SON, 

T  HAVE  amufed,  myfelf  with  collecting  fome  little 
JL  anecdotes  of  ray  family.  You  may  remember  the  in 
quiries  I  made,  when  you  were  with  me  in  England, 
among  fuch  of  my  relations  as  were  then  living  ;  and  the 
journey  I  undertook  for  that  purpofe.  To  be  acquainted 
with  the  particulars  of  my  parentage  and  life,  naany  of 
which  are  unknown  to  you,  I  flatter  myfelf,  will  afford 
the  fame  pleafure  to  you  as  to  me..  I  ihall  relate  them 
upon  paper  :  it  will  be  an  agreeable  employment  of  a 
vreek'vS  uninterrupted  leifure,  which  I  promife  myfelf 
during  my  prefcnt  retirement  in  the  coantry.  There  are; 
alfo  other  motives  which  induce  me  to  the  undertaking. 
From  the  bofotn  of  poverty  aad  obfcurity,  in  which  I 
drew  my  firft  breath,  and  fpent  my  earlieft  years,!  have 
raifed  myfelf  to  a  (late  of  opulence,  and  to  fome  d.egree 
of  celebrity  in  the  world.  A  confiant  good  fortune  has 
attended  me  through  every  period  of  life  to  my  prefcnt 
advanced  age;  and  my  descendants  may  be  deiirous  of 
learning  what  were  the  means  of  which  I  made  ufe,  and 
which,  thanks  to  the  affifting  hand  of  Providence,  have 
proved  fo  eminently  fuccefsful.  They  may  alfo,  mould 
they  ever  be  placed  in  a  fnnilar  fuuation,  derive  feme 


advantage  fro  in  my  narrative. 
When  Lreflcft,  as  I. frequently 


do,  upon  the  felicity  I 
A  a,  have:. 


[      6 


have  enjoyed,  I  fomethnes  fay  to  myfelf,  thr.t,  were  the 
OiTer  made  me,  I  would  engage  to  run  again,  fr  -m  bsgi  li 
ning  to  end,  the  fame  career  of  lifj.  All  I  would  afk 
fnould  be  the  privilege  of  an  author,  to  corrcd,  in  a  fecond 
edition,  certain  errors  of  the  firft.  1  could  wifii,  iikevvife, 
if  it  were  in  my  power,  to  change  feme  trivial  incidents 
and  events  for  others  more  favourable.  Were  this  how 
ever  denied  me,  iHJl  would  I  not  decline  the  oifer,  But 
fince  a  repetition  of  life  cannot  take  place,  there  is  no 
thing  which,  in  my  opinion,  fo  nearly  refernbles  it,  as  to 
call  to  mind  all  its  ciroamftances;,  and,  to  render  their 
remembrance  inoie  durable,  commit  them  to  writing. 
By  thus  Ginplo)  ing  myfelf,  I  mail  yield  to  the  inclination, 
fo  natural  to  old  men,  to  talk  of  themfelvcs  and  their 
exploits,  and  may  freely  fallow  my  bent,  without  being 
tirefome  to  thofe  who,  from  refpecl  to  my  age,  might 
think  themfclves  obliged  to  liflen  to  we  ;  as  they  will  be 
at  liberty  to  read  me  or  not,  as  they  pleafe.  In  fine — and 
I  may  well  avow  it,  iince  nobody  would  believe  me  were 
I  to  deny  it — I  (hall  perhaps,  by  this  employment,  gratify 
iny  vanity.  Scarcely  indeed  have  I  ever  heard  or  read 
the  introductory  phrnfe,  '*  /  may  fa j  ivi  bout  *vanHy" 
but  fame  (hiking  and  characieiiitic  initance  of  vanity 
has  immediately  followed.  The  generality  of  men  hate 
vanity  in  others,  however  ftrongly  they  may  be  tinSurcd 
with  it  themfelves ;  for  myfelf,  I  pay  obeifance  to  it 
wherever  1  meet  with  if,  perfuaded'thaJ  it  is  advantageous, 
as  well  to  the  individual  it  governs,  as  to  thofe  who  are 
within  the  fphere  of  its  influence.  Of  conference,  it 
would,  in  many  cafes,  not  be  wholly  abfurd,  that  a  man 
fhould  count  his  vanity  among  the  other  fweets  uf  hfe, 
and  give  thanks  to  Providence  for  the  bk-ffing. 

And  here  let  "me  with  all  humility  acknowledge,  that 
to  Divine  Providcngc  I  am  indebted  for  the  felicity  I 
have  hitherto  enjoyed.  It  is  that  Power  alone  which  has 
•  furniiried  me  with  the  means  I  have  employed,  and  that 
has  crowned  them  with  fuccefs.  My  faith  in  this^refpeft 
leads  me  to  hope,  though  I  cannot  count  upon  ir,  that 
the  divine  goodnefs  will  ftill  be  exercifed  towards  me, 
either  by  prolonging  the  duration  of  my  happiRcfs  to  the 


[      7      } 

clofe  of  life,  or  by  giving  me  fortitude  to  fupport  any 
melancholy  reverfe,  which  may  happen  to  me,  as  to  fo 
many  others.  My  future  fortune  is  unknown  but  to  Him 
in  whofe  hand  is  our  deftiny,  and  who  can  make  our 
very  afflictions  fubfervient  to  our  benefit. 

One  of  my  uncles,  deiirous,  like  myfelf,  of  collecting 
anecdotes  of  our  family,  gave  me  fome  notes, 
from  which  I  have  derived  many  particulars  refpecl- 
ing  cur  anceftors.  From  thefe  I  learn,  that  they  had 
lived  in  the  fame  village  (Eaton  in  Northamptonfhire) 
upon  a  freehold  of  about  thirty  acres,  for  the  {pace  at  leaft 
of  three  hundred  years.  How  long  they  had  refide'd  there 
prior  to  that  period,  my  uncle  had  been  unable  to  difcever ; 
probably  ever  fince  the  inftitotion  of  furuames,  when  they 
took  the  appellation  of  Franklin,  which  had  formerly 
been  the  name  of  a  particular  order  of  individuals.* 

This  petty  eftate  would  not  have  fufiiced  for  their  fub- 

fiftence, 

*  As  a  proof  that  Franklin  was  anciently  the  common  name 
of  an  order  or  rank  in  England,  fee  Judge  Fortefcue,  De  laudibus 
legum  Angfiefi  written  about  the  year  14.12,  in  which  is  the  fol 
lowing  paflage,  to  (hew  that  good  juries  might  eaftiy.be  formed 
in  any  part  of  England  ; 

"  Regio  ctiarn  ilia,  ita  refperfa  refertaque  eft  froffffirlbus  tfr- 
rantm  et  agrorum,  quod  in  ea,  viJiula  tarn  parva  reperiri  no* 
potent,  in  qua  non  eft  «//V.r,  armiger,  vel  pater-familias,  qualis 
ibidem  fraxklin  vulgaritur  nuncupatur,  niagnis  ditatus  pofief- 
fionibus,  nee  non  libeie,  tenentes  et  alii  vule&>  pluvimi,  fuis 
patrimonies  fufticientes,  ad  faciendum  juraium,  in  foroia  prae- 
notata." 

«*  Moreover,  the  fame  country  is  fo  filled  and  replenifhed  tvith 
landed  rnenne,  that  therein  fo  fmall  a  thorpc  cannot  be  found 
wherein  dwelleth  not  a  knight,  an  efquire,  or  fuch  a  houf- 
hclder  as  is  there  commonly  called  *  franklin^  enriched  with 
great  pofleflions ';  and  alfo  other  freeholders  and  many  yeomen, 
able  for  their  livelihoods  to  make  a  jury  in  form  aforcmen- 
"tioned."  OLD  TR  ANSI.  ATION. 

Chaucer  too  calls  his  country  gentleman  a  franklin,  and  after 
ttdcribiag  his -good  houfekeeping,  thus  charactenfes  him  : 
This  worthy  franklin  bore  a  purfe  of  iilk, 
Fix'd  to  his  girdle,  white  as  morning  milk. 
Knight  of  the  fliire,  firft  juftice  at  th'  affize, 
To  help  the  poor,  the  doubtful  to  advife. 
In  all  employments,  generous,  jufl,  he  prov'ch. 
Fv?aovvn'd  for  eourtcfy>  by  ail  bdoY'd» 


[      2      ] 

fiftence,  had  ihey  not  added  the  trade  of  blackfmith, 
which  was  perpetuated  in  the  family  down  to  my  uncle's 
time,  the  eidetl  fon  having  been  uniformly  brought  up 
to  this  employment  :  a  cuftom  which  both  he. and  my 
father  obfervrd  with  refpeft  to  their  eldeft  fons, 

In  the  rcfearches  I  made  at  Eaton,  I  found  ao  account 
of  their  birth?,  marriages,  and  deaths,  eariici  than  the 
year  1^55;  the  parilh  regifter  not  extending  farther  back 
than  that  period.  This  regiiler  informed  me,  thaf  I  was 
the  youogeft  fon  of  the  youngeft  branch  of  the  family, 
counting  five  generations.  '  My  grandfather,  Thomas, 
\vho  was  born  in  i  598,  living  at  Eaton  till  he  was  too 
cKl  to  continue  his  trade,  when  he  retired  to  Banhury  in 
Oxfcrduiire,  where  his  fon  John,  who  was  a  dyer,  re- 
lided,  and  with  whom  my  father  was  apprenticed.  He 
died,  and  was  buried  there:  we  faw  his  monument  in 
1758.  His  eldeft  fon  lived  in  the  family  houfe  at  Ea 
ton,  which  be  bequeathed,  with  the  land  belonging  to 
it,  to  his  only  daughter;  who,  in  concert  with  her  kuf- 
band,  Mr.  Fifher  of  Wellingborough,  afterwards  fold 
it  fo  Mr.  Efted,  the  prefent  proprietor, 

My  grandfather  had  four  furviving  fons,  Thomas, 
J.ohn,  Benjamin,  and  Jonas.  1  fhali  give  you  fuch  par 
ticulars  of  them  as  my  memory  will  furniih,  not  having 
my  papers  here,  in  which  you  will  find  a  more  minute 
account,  if  they  are  not  loft  during  my  abfence. 

Thomas  had  learned  the  trade  of  blackfmith  under  his 
father  ;  but  poiTeffing  a  good  natural  underftanding,  he 
improved  it  by  ftudy,  at  the  folicitation  of  a  gentleman- 
of  the  name  of  Palmer,  who  was  at  that  time  the  princi* 
pa!  inhabitant  of  the  village,  and  who  encouraged  in  like 
manner  all  ray  uncles  to  improve  their  minds.  .  Thomas 
thus  rendered  him felf  competent  to  the  functions  of  a 
country  attorney  ;  foon  became  an  eiTential  perfonage  m 
the  affairs  of  the  village;  and  was  one  of  the  chief  movers 
of  every  public  enterprife,  as  well  relative  to  the  coun 
try  as  tl>e  town  of  Northampton.  A  variety  of  remark 
able  incidents  were  told  us  of  him  at  Eaton.  After  en- 
joyiY.g  the  efleem  and  patronage  of  Lord  Halifax,  he 
died,'  January  6t  1702,  precifeljL  four  years  before  I  was 

hoxiu 


t  9   j 

born.  The  recital  that  was  made  us  of  his  life  and  cha 
racter,  by  fome  aged  perfons  of  the  village,  ilruck  you, 
1  remember)  as  extraordinary,  from  its  analogy  to  what 
you  knew  of  myfelf.  "  Had  he  died,"  faid  yon,  "  juft 
fonr  years  later,  one  might  have  fuppofed  a  tranlmigra- 
tion  of  fouls  " 

John,  to  the  bed  of  my  belief,  was  brought  up  to  the 
trade  of  a  wool- dyer. 

Benjamin  ferred  his  apprenticcfliip  in  London  to  a 
lilk-dyer.  He  was  an  induftrious  man  :  I  remember  him 
well;  for,  while  I  was  a  child,  he  joined  my  father  at 
Bofton,  and  lived  for  fome  years  iu  the  houfe  with  us. 
A  particular  affection  had  always  fuhfifted  between  my  fa 
ther  and  him  ;  and  1  was  his  god-fon.  He  arrived  to  a 
great  age.  He  left  behind  him  two  quarto  volumes  of 
poems  in  manufcript,  confiding  of  little  fugitive  pieces 
addrefied  to  his  friends.  He  had  invented  a  fhorthand. 
which  he  taught  me,  but  having  never  made  ufo  of  it,  I 
have  now  forgotten  it.  He  was  a  man  of  piety,  and  a 
conllant  attendant  on  the  belt  preachers,  wliofe  fermons 
he  took  a  pleafure  in  writing  down  according  to  the  ex- 
peditory  method  he  had  dcvifed.  Many  volumes  were 
thus  collected  by  him.  He  was  alfo  extremely  fond  of 
politics,  too  much  fo  perhaps  for  his  fituation.  I  lately 
found  in  London  a  collection  which  he  had  made  of  all 
the  principal  pamphlets  relative  to  public  affairs,  from 
the  year  1641  to  1717.  Many  volumes  are  wanting,  as 
appears  by  the  feries  of  numbers;  but  there'ftill  remain 
eight  in  folio,  and  twenty  four  in  quarto  and  oclavo. 
vThe  collection  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  fecond-hand 
bockfcller,  who,  knowing  me  by  having  fold  me  fome 
bcoks,  brought  it  to  me.  My  uncle,  itYeems,  had  left 
it  behind  him  on  his  departure  for  America,  about  fifty- 
years  ago.  I  found  various  notes  oPhis  writing  in  the 
margins,  His  grandfon,  Samuel,  is  now  living  at  Bof 
ton. 

Our  humble  family  had  early  embraced  the  Reforma 
tion.  They  remained  fai.hrully  attached  during  the 
reign  of  Queen  Mary,  when  they  were  in  danger  of  be 
ing  molefted  on  account  cf  their  zeal  againft  popery. 

They 


r   10   i 

They  had  an  Englifh  Bible;  and,  to  conceal  it  the  mars 
fecureiy,  they  conceived  the  project  of  fattening  it,  cpcn, 
with  pack-threads  acrofs  the  leaves,  on  the  inlide  of  the 
lid  of  a  clofe-ftoo!.  When  my  great-grandfather  wifh- 
ed  to  read  to  his  family,  he  reverfed  the  lid  of  the  clo&- 
ftool  upon  his  knees,  and  patted  the  leaves  from  one  fide  to 
the  other,  which  were  held  down  on  each  by  the  pack 
thread.  One  of  the  children  was  ftaiioned  at  the  door, 
to  give  notice  if  he  faw  the  proctor  (an  ofncer  of  die 
fpiritual  court)  make  his  appearance  :  in  that  cafe,  the 
lid  was  reftored  to  its  place,  with  the  Bible  concealed 
under  it  as  before.  I  had  this  anecdote  from  my  uncle 
Benjamin. 

The  whole  family  preferved  its  attachment  to  the 
Church  of  England  till  towards  the  clofe  of  the  reign  of 
Charles  II.  when  certain  minifters,  who  had  been  ejed- 
ed  as  n  on- conform  ills,  having  held'conventicles  in  North- 
hamptonfhire,  they  were  joined  by  Benjamin  and  Joilas, 
who  adhered  to  them  ever  after.  The  reft  of  the  family 
continued  in  the  epifcopal  church. 

My  father,  Jofus,  married  early  in  life.  He  went, 
with  his  wife  and  three  children,  to  New-England,  a- 
bout  the  year  1682.  Conventicles  being  at  that  time 
prohibited  by  law,  and  frequently  difturbed,  fome  con- 
fiderable  perfons  of  his  acquaintance  determined  to  go 
to  America,  where  they  hoped  to  enjoy  the  free  exercife 
of  their  religion,  and  my  father  was  prevailed  on  to  ac 
company  them. 

My  father  had  alfo  by  the  fame  wife  four  children 
born  in  America,  and  tea  others  by  a  fecond  wife,  mak 
ing  in  all  fevenreen.  1  remember  to  have  feen  thirteen 
feated  together  at  his  table,  who  all  arrived  to  yea  rs  of  ma 
turity,  and  were  married.  I  was  the  lail  ofthefons, 
and  the  youngeft  child,  excepting  two  daughters.  1 
\vas  born  at  Botfon  in  New-England.  My  mother,  the 
fecond  wife,  was  Abiah  Folger,  daughter  of  Peter  Fol- 
ger,  one  of  the  firft  colonies  of  New-England,^of  whom 
Cotton  Mather  makes  honourable  mention,  in  hisEcele*., 
fsaftical  Hiflory  of  that  province,  as  f<  a  pious,  learned 
EngUJhrnav"  if  I  rightly  recollect  his  expfsiiions.  1 


I 


have  been  told  of  his  having  written  a  variety 
pieces  ;  but  there  appears  to  be  only  one  in  print,  which 
1  met  with  many  years  ago.  It  was  publifiied  in  the 
year  1675,  and  is  in  familiar  verfe,  agreeable  to  the  tafle 
of  the  times  and  the  country.  The  author  addreflw  him- 
felf  to  the  governors  for  the  time  being,  fpeaks  for  liber 
ty  of  confcience,  and  in  favour  of  the  anabaptiits,  quakers 
and  other  feclaries,  who  had  fuftercd  perfecution.  To 
this  perfecution  he  attributes  the  wars  with  the  natives, 
:and  other  calamities  which  afflicted  the  country,  regard 
ing  them  as  the  judgments  of  God  in  punifnment  of  fo 
odious  an  offence ;  and  he  exhorts  the  government  to  the 
repeal  of  laws  fo  contrary  to  charity.  The  poem  appear 
ed  to  be  wrken  with  a  manly  freedom  and  a  pleading  fim- 
plicity.  I  recoiled  the  fix  concluding  lines,  though  I 
Lave  forgotten  the  order  of  words  of  the  two  firft  ;  the 
ienfe  of  which  was,  that  his  cenfures  were  dictated  by  be 
nevolence,  and  that,  of  confluence,  he  wifhed  to  be 
known  as  the  author;  becaufe,  faid  he,  I  hate  from  my 
very  foul  dirTimulation  ; 

From  iherburne,*  where  I  dwell, 

I  therefore  put  my  name, 
Your  friend  who  means  you  well. 

PETER  FOLCER. 

My  brothers  were  all  put  to  apprentice  to  different 
trades.  With  refpec~t  to  myfelf,  I  was  font,  at  the  age 
of  eight  years,  t0  a  grammar  fchool.  My  father  deftined 
me  for  the  church,  and  already  regarded  me  as  the  chap- 
Iain  of  the  family.  The  promptitude  with  which  from 
my  infancy  I  had  learned  to  read  (for  I  do  not  remem 
ber  to  have  been  ever  without  this  acquirement)  and  the 
encouragement  of  his  friends,  who  arTured  him  that  I 
firouid  one  day  certainly  become  a  man  of  letters,  con 
firmed  him  in  this  defign.  My  uncle  Benjamin  approv 
ed  alfo  of  the  fcherne,  and  promifed  to  give  me  all  his 
volumes  of  fermons,  written,  as  I  have  faid,  in  the  ihort 
hand  of  hjs  invention,  if  1  would  take  the  pains  to  learn  it. 

I  remained  however  fcarcely  a  year  at  grammar-  fchool, 
although  in  this  Ihort  interval  I  had  rifen  from  the  raid- 
die 
*  Town  in  the  Ifland  of  Nantucker. 


[  12          J 

die  to  the  head  of  my  clafs,  from  thence  to  the  clafs  im 
mediately  above,  nnd  was  to  p?.fr,  at  the  end  of  the  year, 
to  the  one  next  in  order.  But  my  father,  bunhened 
with  a  numerous  family,  found  that  he  was  incapable, 
without  fubjelting  himfelf  to  difficulties,  of  providing  for 
the  expenfe  of  a  collegiate  education  ;  and  confi-dering 
betides,  as  I  heard  him  fay  to  his  friends,  that  perfons  fo 
educated  were  often  poorly  provided  for,  he  renounced 
-his  firft  intentions,  took  me  from  the  grammar  fchool, 
and  Tent  me  to  a  fchool  for  writing  and  arithmetic;  kept 
by  a  Mr.  George  Brcwnwel,  who  was  a  fkilful  mailer, 
and  fucceedcd  very  well  in  his  profeilion  by  employing 
gentle  means  only,  and  fuch  as  were  calculated  to  encour 
age  his  fcholars.  Under  him  I  foon  acquired  an  excel 
lent  hand;  but  I  failed  in  arithmetic,  and  made  therein 
iiQ  fort  of  progrefs. 

At  ten  years  of  age,  I  was  called  home  to  affift  my  fa 
ther  in  his  occupation,  which  was  that  of  foap- boiler 
and  tallow-chandler ;  a  bufmefs  to  which  he  had  ferved 
no  apprenticefhip,  bnt  which  he  embraced  on  his  arrival 
ia  New-England,  becaufe  he  found  his  own,  that  of  a 
dyer,  in  too  little  requeft  to  enable  him  to  maintain  his 
family.  I  was  accordingly  employed  in  cutting  the 
wicks,  filling  the  moulds,  taking  care  of  the  Ihop,  carry 
ing  meffages,  &c. 

This  bufinefs  difpleafed  me,  and  I  felt  a  ftrong  incli 
nation  for  a  fea  life ;  but  my  father  fet  his  face  againft 
it.  The  vicinity  of  the  water,  however,  gave  me  fre 
quent  opportunities  of  venturing  rnyfelf  both  upon  and 
within  it,  and  I  foon  acquired  the  art  of  fwimming,  and 
of  managing  a  boat.  When  embarked  with  other  chil 
dren,  the  helm  was  commonly  deputed  to  me,  particu 
larly  on  difficult  occafions  ;  and,  in  every  other  projecl, 
I  was  almoft  always  the  leader  of  the  troop,  whom  I 
ibmetiraes  involved  in  embarraffments.  I  fhall  give  an. 
inflance  of  this,  which  demonitrates  an  early  difpofition 
of  mind  for  public  enterprifc  s,  though  the  one  in  quef- 
tion  was  not  conducted  by  jullice. 

The  mill-pond  was  terminated  on  one  fide  by  a  marfh, 
upon  the  borders  of  which  we  were  accuftomed  to  take 


[       '3       J 

ivtir  uand,  at  high  water,  to  angle  for  fmall  fifli.  2y 
•iint  of  walking,  we  had  converted  the  place  into  a  per- 
kct  quagmire.  My  propofal  was  to  ereft  a  wharf  that 
ihould  afford  us  firm  footing  ;  and  I  pointed  out  to  ray 
companions  a  large  heap  01  iiones,  intended  for  building 
a  new  houfe  near  the  marfh,  and  which  were  well  adapt 
ed  for  our  purpofe.  Accordingly,  when  the  workmen 
retired  in  the  evening,  I  affembled  a  number  of  my  play 
fellows,  and  by  labouring  diligently,  like  ants,  fame- 
times  four  of  us  uniting  our  ftrength  to  carry  a  f;ngle 
ilone,  we  removed  them  all,  and  conftrudled  our  little 
quay.  The  .workmen  were  furprifed  the  next  morning 
at  not  finding  their  flones,  which  had  been  conveyed  to 
our  wharf.  Inquiries  were  made  refpecling  the  authors 
of  this  conveyance;  we,  were  difcovered ;  complaints 
were  exhibited  againft  us ;  many  of  us  underwent  cor- 
reftion  on  the  part  of  our  parents ;  and  though  I  ftrenu- 
oufiy  defended  the  utility  of  the  work,  my  father  at 
length  convinced  me,  that  nothing  which  was  not  ftriftly 
honeft  could  be  ufefui. 

*It  will  not,  perhaps,  be  uninterefling  to  you  to  know 
what  fort  of  a  man  my  father  was.  He  had  an  excellent 
conftitution,  was  of  a  middle  fize,  but  well  made  and 
Jftrong,  and  extremely  aftive  in  whatever  he  undertook. 
He  defigned  with  a  degree  of  neatnefs,  and  knew  a  little 
of  mufic.  His  voice  was  fonorcus  and  agreeable;  fo 
that  when  he  fung  a  pfalm  or  hymn  with  accompaniment 
of  his  violin,  as  was  his  frequent  practice  in  an  evening 
when  the  labours  of  the  day  were  finifhed,  it  was  truly 
delightful  to  hear  him.  He  was  verfed  alfo  in  mechan 
ics,  and  could  upon  occafion  ufe  the  tools  of  a  variety  of 
trades.  But  his  grcateft  excellence  was  a  found  under- 
ftanding  and  folid  judgment  in  matters  of  prudence,  both 
in  public  and  private  life.  In  the  former  indeed  he  nev 
er  engaged,  becaufe  his  numerous  family  and  the  medi 
ocrity  of  his  fortune,  kept  him  unremittingly  employed 
in  the  duties  of  his  profefHon,  But  1  very  well  remem 
ber  that  the  leading  men  of  the  place  ufed  frequently  to 
come  and  afk  his  advice  refpeding  affairs  of  the  town, 
or  of  the  church  to  which  he  belonged,  and  that  they 
B  paid 


[       14      J 

paid  much  deference  to  his  opinion.  Individuals  were 
alfo  in  the  habit  of  confulting  him  in  their  private  affairs, 
and  he  was  often  c'hofen  arbiter  between  contending 
parties. 

He  was  fond  of  having  at  his  table,  as  often  as  poflible, 
fome  Iricnds  or  well-informed  neighbours,  capable  of 
rational  converfation,and  he  was  always  careful  to  intro 
duce  ufeful  or  ingenious  topics  of  difcourfe,  which  mi^ht 
tend  to  form  the  minds  of  his  children.  By  this  means 
he  early  attracted  our  attention  to  what  was  juft,  prudent, 
and  beneficial  in  the  conduct  of  life.  He  never  talked 
of  the  meats  which  appeared  upon  the  table,  never  diA 
cuffed  whether  they  were  well  or  ill  drefled,  of  a  good 
or  bad  flavour,  high-feafoned  or  otherwife,  preferable 
or  inferior  to  this  or  that  difh  of  a  fimilar  kind.  Thus 
accuftomcd,  from  my  infancy,  to  the  utmoft  attention  as 
to  tbefe  objects,  1  have  always  been  perfectly  regardkfs 
of  what  kind  of  food  was  before  me  ;  and  I  pay  fo  little 
attention  to  it  even  navv,  that  it  would  be  a  hard  matter 
for  me  to  recollect,  a  few  hours  after  I  had  dined,  of 
what  my  dinner  had  confifted.  When  travelling,  I  have 
particularly  experienced  the  advantage  of  this  habit ;  for 
it  has  often  happened  to  me  to  be  in  company  \vith  per- 
fons,"  who,  having  a  more  delicate,  beeaufe  a  more  exer- 
cifed  tafte,  have  fuffered  in  many  cafes  conficlerafele  in 
convenience  j  while,  as  to  myfelf,  I  have  had  nothing 
to  defixe. 

My  mother  was  likewife  poffefTed  of  an  excellent  con- 
flittition.  She  fuckled  all  her  ten  children,  and  i  never 
heard  either  her  or  my  father  complain  of  any  other  dif- 
order,  than  that  of  which  they  died  :  my  father  at  the 
age  of  eighty-feven,  and  my  mother  at  eighty-five. 
They  are  buried  at  Bofton,  where,  a  few  years  ago,  I 
placed  a  marble  over  their  grave,  with  this  infcription  : 

«'  Here  lie 

"  JOSIAS  FRANKLIN  and  ABIAH  his  wife:  They 
'*  lived  together  with  reciprocal  affection  for  fifty-nine 
(t  years ;  and  without  private  fortune,  without  lucrative 
l(  employment,  by  afliduous  labour  and  honeft  induftry, 
f*  deceotly  fupported  a  rumeroiv?  family*  aiid  educated, 

««  witJi 


[       '5      1 

*    with  faccefs,  thirteen  children,  and  feven  grand  chil- 
**  dren.     Let  this  example,  reader,  encourage  thee  djli- 
"  gently  to  difcharge  the  duties  of  thy  calling,  and  to 
Jv  rely  on  the  fupport  of  divine  Providence." 
"  He  was  pious  and  prudent, 
"  She  difcreet  and  virtuous. 

"Their  youngeft  fon,  from  a  fentiment  of  filial  duty, 
«'  coniecrated  this  ftone 

'*  To  their  memory." 

I  perceive,  by  my  rambling  digreffions,  that  I  am 
growing  old.  But  we  do  not  drefs  for  a  private  com 
pany  as  for  a  formal  ball.  This  defer ves  perhaps  the 
name  of  negligence. 

To  return.  I  thus  continued  employed  in  my  father's 
trade  for  the  fpace  of  two  years  j  that  is  to  fay,  till  I  ar 
rived  at  twelve  years  of  age.  About  this  time  my 
brother  John,  who  had  ferved  his  apprenticefhip  in  Lon 
don,  having  quitted  my  father,  and  being  married  and 
fettled  in  bufmefs  on  his  own  account  at  Rhode-Ifland, 
Iwas  deftined,  to  all  appearance,  to  fupply  his  place, 
and  be  a  candlemaker  all  my  life  :  but  my  diflike  of  this 
occupation  continuing,  ray  father  was  apprehend ve.,  that, 
.if  a  more  agreeable  one  were  not  offered  me,  I  might 
play  the  truant  and  efcape  to  fea  ;  as,  to  his  extreme 
mortification,  my  brother  Jofias  had  done.  He  there 
fore  took  me  fometimes  to  fee  mafons,  coopers,  braziers, 
joiners,  and  other  mechanics,  employed  at  their  work  ; 
in  order  to  difcover  the  bent  of  my  inclination,  ami  fix 
it  if  he  could  upon  fome  occupation  that  might  retain,  me 
on  fhorc.  I  have  fince,  in  confequence  of  thefe  vifits,  de 
rived  no  fmall  pleafure  from  feeing  fkilful  workmen  han 
dle  their  tools :  and  it  has  proved  of  confiderable  benefit, 
to  have  acquired  thereby  fufficient  knowledge  to  be  sble 
to  make  little  things  r*r  myfelf,  when  I  have  had  no  me 
chanic  at  hand,  and  to  conftrucl  fmall  machines  for  my 
experiments,  while  the  idea  I  have  conceived  has  been 
frefn  and  ftrongly  imprefied  on  my  imagination. 

My  father  at  length  decided  that  I  fhould  be  a  cutler, 

and  1  was  placed  for  fome  days  upon  trial  with  my  cou- 

fin  Samuel,  fon  of  my  uncle  Benjamin,  who  had  learned 

B  2  thi> 


E       *6       } 

tKJs  trade  in  London,  and  had  eftablifhed  himfelf  at  Bof~ 
ton.  But  the  premium  he  required  for  my  apprentice- 
fhip  difpleafing  my  father,  I  was  recalled  home. 

From  ray  earlieft  years  I  had  been  paffionately  fond 
of  reading,  and  I  laid  out  in  books  all  the  little  money 
I  could  procure,  I  was  particularly  pleafed  with  ac- 
counts^  of  voyages.  My  firft  acquisition  was  Bunyaq'a 
collection  in  fmall  Separate  volumes.  Thefc  I  after 
wards  fold  in  order  to  buy  an  hiftorical  collection  by  R. 
Burton,  which  confifted  of  fmall  cheap  volumes,  amount 
ing  in  all  to  about  forty  or  fifty.  My  father's  little  li 
brary  was  principally  made  up  of  books  of  practical  and 
polemical  theology.  I  read  the  greateft  part  of  them. 
I  have  fince  often  regretted,  that,  at  a  time  when  I  had 
fo  great  a  thirft  for  knowledge,  more  eligible  books  had 
not  fallen  into  my  hands,  as  it  was  then  a  point  decided 
that  I  fliould  not  be  educated  for  the  church.  There 
was  alfo  among  my  father's  books  Plutarch's  Lives,  in 
which  I  read  continually  ;  and  I  ftill  regard  as  advan- 
tagecufly  employed  the  time  1  devoted  to  them.  I  found 
betides  a  work  of  De  FQU'S,  entitled  an  Eflay  on  Pro 
jects,  from  which,  perhaps,  I  derived  impreflions  that 
fcave  fince  influenced  fome  of  the  principal  events  of  my 
Hff. 

My  inclination  for  books  at  lad  determined  my  father 
to  make  me  a  printer,  though  he  had  already  a  fon  in 
that  profcSion.  My  brother  had  returned  from  England 
in  1717,  with  a  prefs  and  types,  in  order  to  eftablilh  a 
jprinting-houfe  at  Bofton.  This  bufinefs  pleafed  me 
much  better  than  that  of  my  father,  though  I  had  ftill  a 
predilection  for  tfae  fea.  To  prevent  the  effects  which 
Jnighv  refult  from  this  inclination,  ray  father  was  impa 
tient  to  fee  me  engaged  with  my  brother.  I  held  back 
for  fome  time;  at  length  however  I  fuffered  myfelf  to 
be  perftiaded,»nnd  f  gned  my  indentures,  being  then  only 
twelve yars  of  age.  It  was  agreed  that  I  fhould  ferve 
ss  apprentice  to  the  age  of  twenty- one,  and  fhould  re- 
:  journeyman's  wages  only  during  the  laft  year. 

In  a  very  ihort  time  I  made  great  proficiency  in  this 
brnrief".  *nd  brmme  very  ferviceable  to  my  brother. 

I 


[       '7      1 

{  had  now  an  opportunity  of  procuring  better  books. 
The  acquaintance  I  necefiarily  formed  with  book  fellers' 
apprentices,  enabled  me  to  borrow  a  volume  now  and 
then,  which  I  never  failed  to  retarn  punctually  and 
without  injury.  Plow  often  has  it  happened  to  me  to 
pafs  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in  reading  by  my  bed- 
fide,  when  the  book  had  been  lent  me  in  the  evening, 
and  was  to  be  returned  the  next  morning,  left  it  might  / 
be  mified  or  wanted. 

At  length,  Mr.  Matthew  Adams,  an  ingenious  tradcf- 
man,  who  had  a  handfome  collection  of  books,  and  who 
frequented  our  printing-houfe,  took  notice  of  me. 
He  invited  me  to  fee  his  library,  and  had  the 
gpodncfs  to  lend  me  any  books  I  was  defirous  of 
reading.  I  then  took  a  ftrange  fancy  for  poetry,  and 
compofcd  feveral  little  pieces.  My  brother,  thinking 
he  might  find  his  account  in  it,  encouraged  me,  and 
engaged  me  to  write  two  ballads.  One,  called  the 
Lighthoufe  Tragedy,  contained  an  account  of  the  (hip- 
wreck  of  captain  Worthilake  and.  his  two  daughters ; 
the  other  was  a  failor's  fong  on  the  capture  of  the  noted 
pirate  called  Teach,,  or  Rlack-keanl.  They  were  wretch 
ed  verfes  in  point  of  ftyle,  mere  blin^-men's  ditties. 
When  printed,  he  difpatchcd  roe  about  the  town  to  fell 
them.  The  firft  had  a  prodigious  run,  .becaufe  the  event 
was  recent,  and  had  made  a  great  noife. 

My  vanity  was  flattered  by  this  fuccefs  ;  but  my  fa 
ther  checked  my  exultation,  by  ridiculing,  my  produc 
tions,  and  telling  me  that  verifiers  were  always  poor, 
I  thus  efcaped  the  misfortune  of  being,  probaly,  a  very- 
wretched  poet.  But  as  the  faculty  of  writing  profe  has- 
been  of  great  fen  ice  to  me  in  the  courfe  of  my  life,  and 
principally  contributed  to  my  advancement,  I  (hall  re- 
jate  by  what  means,  frtuated  as  I  was,  I  acquired  tht 
fmall  fkill  I  may  polfefs  in  that  way. 

There  was  in  the  town  another  youn-g  man,  a  great 
lover  of  books,  of  the  name  of  John  Colhns,  with  whom 
I  was  intimately  connecled.  We  frequently  engaged 
in  difpate,  and  were  indeed  fo  fond  of  argumentation, 
that  nothing  was  fo  agreeable  to  us  a?  a  war  of  words. 
B  3  Thi*. 


[       1 8       ]• 

This  contentious  temper,  I  would  obferve  by  the  bye, 
is  in  danger  of  becoming  a  very  bad  habit,  and  frequent 
ly  renders  a  man's  company  infupportable,  as  being  no 
otherwife  capable  of  indulgence  than  by  indi (criminate 
contradiction.  Independently  of  the  acrimony  and  dii- 
eord  it  introduces  into  converfation,  it  is  often  produc 
tive  of  difiike,  and  even  hatred,  between  perfons  to  whom 
friendfhip  is  indifpenfibly  neccirary.  I  acquired  it  by 
reading,  while  I  lived  with  my  father,  books  of  reli 
gious  controvcrfy.  I  have  fince  remarked,  that  men  of 
fenfe  feldora  fall  into  this  error ;  lawyers,  fellows  of 
aniverlities,  and  perfons  of  every  profeilion  educated  at 
Edinburgh,  excepted. 

Collins  and  I  one  day  entered  into  an  argument  rela 
tive  to  the  education  of  women  ;  namely,  whether  it 
were  proper  to  inftruft  theai  in  the  fciences,  and  whether 
they  were  competent  to  the  ftudy.  Collins  fupported 
the  negative,  and  affirmed  that  the  talk  was  beyond  their 
capacity.  I  maintained  the  oppofue  opinion,  a  little 
perhaps  for  the  pleafure  of  difputing.  He  was  naturally 
more  eloquent  than  I  ;  words  flowed  copioufly  from  his 
lips  ;  and  frequently  I  thought  myfelf  vanquifhed,  more 
by  his  volubility  than  by  the  force  of  his  arguments. 
We  feparated  without  coming  to  an  agreement  upon  this 
point ;  and  as  we  were  not  to  fee  each  other  again  for 
ibme  time,  I  committed  my  thoughts  to  paper,  made  a 
fair  copy,  and  fent  it  him.  He  anfwercd,  and  I  replied. 
Three  or  four  letters  had  been  written  by  each,  when  my 
father  chanced  to  light  upon  my  papers  and  read  them. 
Without  entering  into  the  merits  of  the  caufe,  he  embra 
ced  the  opportunity  of  fpeaking  to  me  upon  my  manner 
of  writing.  He  obferved,  that  though  1  had  the  advan 
tage  of  ray  adverfary  in  correct  fpelling  and  pointing, 
which  I  owed  to  ray  occupation  ;  I  was  greatly  his  infe- 
.-ior  in  elegance  of  expreffion,  in  arrangement,  and  perf- 
picuity.  Of  this  he  convinced  me  by  feveral  examples. 
I  felt  the  juftice  of  his  remarks,  became  more  attentive 
to  language,  and  refoived  to  make  every  effort  to  im- 
pro?e  my  ftylc.  /irnidft  thefe  refolves  an  odd  volume 
of  the  Spectator  fell  into  my  hands,  This  was  a  publi 
cation 


[       19       1 

cation  I  had  never  fecn.  I  bought  the  volume,  and  read 
it  again  and  again.  I  was  enchanted  with  it,  thought 
the  ftyle  excellent,  and  wifhed  it  were  in  my  power  to 
imitate  it.  With  this  view  I  felefted  forne  of  the  pa 
pers,  made  fhort  fummaries  of  the  fenfe  of  each  period, 
and  put  them  for  a  few  days  afide.  I  then,  without 
looking  at  the  book,  endeavoured  to  rcftore  the  eflays  to 
their  true  form,  and  to  exprefs  each  thought  at  length, 
as  it  was  in  the  original,  employing  the  moft  appropriate 
words  that  occurred  to  my  mind.  I  afterwards  com 
pared  my  Spectator  with  the  original;  I  perceived  fomc 
faults,  which  I  corrected  :  but  I  found  that  I  wanted  a 
fund  of  words,  if  I  may  fo  exprefs  myfelf,  and  a  facility 
of  recollecling  and  employing  them,  which  I  thought  I 
fhould  by  that  time  have  acquired,  had  I  continued  to 
make  verfes.  The  continual  need  of  words  of  the  fame 
meaning,  bat  of  different  lengths  for  the  meafure,  or  of 
different  founc^  for  the  rhyme,  would  have  obliged  me 
to  feck  for  a  variety  of  fynonymes,  and  have  rendered  me 
mafter  of  them.  From  this  belief,  I  took  fome  of  the 
tales  of  the  Spe&ator,  and  turned  them  into  verfe  ;  and 
after  a  time,  when  I  had  fufficiemly  forgotten  them,  I 
again  converted  them  into  profe. 

Sometimes  alfo  I  mingled  all  my  fumoianes  together; 
and  a  fevr  weeks  after  endeavoured  to  arrange  them  in 
the  beft  order,  before  I  attempted  to  form  the  periods 
and  complete  the  efiays.  This  I  did  with  a  view  of  ac 
quiring  method  in  the  arrangement  of  my  thoughts.  On 
comparing  afterwards  my  performance  with  the  original, 
many  faults  were  apparent,  which  I  corrected  ;  bat  I  had 
•brnetimes  the  fatisfaclion  to  think,  that,  in  certain  par- 
ricclars  of  little  importance,  I  had  been  fortunate  enough 
ro  improve  the  order  of  thought  or  the  ftyle  ;  and  this 
encouraged  me  to  hope  that  I  fhould  fucceed,  ia  time,  in 
writing  the  Englifh  language,  which  was  one  of  the  great 
objefts  of  my  ambition. 

The  time  which  I  devoted  to  thefe  exercifes,  and  to 
reading,  was  the  erening  after  my  day's  labour  was  fin- 
ifaed,  the  raerning  before  it  began,  and  Sundays  when  I 
could  cfcape  attending  divine  fervice,  While  1  livei 

with 


I    *>    J 

my  father,  he  had  infixed  on  my  punctual  attend^ 
ance  on  public  wormip,  and  I  flill  in  .iced  confidered  h 
as  a  duty,  but  a  duty  which  I  though:  I  had  no  time  to 
praftife. 

When  about  fixteen  years  of  age,  a  work  of  Try  on 
frll  into  my  hands,  in  which  he  recommends  vegetable 
diet.  I  determined  to  obferve  it.  My  brother,  being 
a  bachelor,  did  not  keep  houfe,  but  boarded,  with  his 
apprentices,  in  a  neighbouring  family.  My  refufmg  to 
eat  animal  food  was  found  inconvenient,  and  I  was  ofren 
fcolded  for  my  fmgularity.  I  attended  to  the  mode  in 
which  Tryon  prepared  fome  of  his  dimes,  particularly 
how  to  boil-potatoes  and  rice,  and  make  hafty-puddings. 
I  then  faid  to  ray  brother,  that  if  he  would  allow  me  per 
week  half  what  he  paid  for  my  board,  I  would  undertake 
to  maintain  myfelf.  The  offer  was  inftantly  embraced, 
and  1  foon  found  that  of  what  he  gave  me  I  was  able  to 
fave  half.  This  was  a  new  fund  for  the  purchafe  of 
books;  and  other  advantages  refulted  to  me  from  the 
plan.  When  my  brother  and  his  workmen  left  the 
printing-houfe  to  go  to  dinner,  I  remained  behind;  and 
difpatched  my  frugal  meal,  which  frequently  confifted 
of  a  bifcuit  only,  or  a  ilice  of  bread  and  a  bunch  of  rai 
sins,  or  a  bun  from  the  paftry  cook's,  with  a  glafs  of 
water  ;  I  had  the  reft  of  the  time,  till  their  return,,  for 
ftudy  ;  and  my  progrefs  therein  was  proportioned  to  that 
clearnefs  of  ideas,  and  quicknefs  of  conception,  which 
are  the  fruit  of  temperance  in  eating  and  drinking. 

It  was  about  this  period,  that,  having  one  day  been 
pat  to  the  blufh  for  my  ignorance  in  the  art  of  calcula 
tion,  which  I  had  twice  failed  to  learn  while  at  fchool, 
I  took  up  Cocker's  Trcatife  of  Arithmetic,  and  went 
through  it  by  myfelf  with  the  utmoft  eafc ;  J  alfo  read  a 
book  of  Navigation  by  Seller  and  Sturmy,  and  made 
myfelf  matter  of  the  little  geometry  it  contains  ;  but  I 
icyer  proceeded  far  in  this  fcience.  Nearly  at  the  fame 
lime  1  rend  Locke  on  the  Hnman  Undemanding,  and 
the  Art  of  Thinking  by  Meflrs.  du  Port- Royal. 

While  labouring  to  form  and  improve  my  ftyle,  I  met 
wish  an  English  Grammar,  which  I  believe  was  Green., 

wood'*, 


wood's,  having  at  the  end  of  it  two  little  cfTays  on  rheto 
ric  and  logic.  In  the  latter  I  found  a  model  of  difpu- 
ration  after  the  manner  of  Socrates.  Shortly  after  I 
procured  Xenophon's  work,  entitled  Memorable  Things 
of  Socrates,  in  which  are  various  examples  of  the  fame 
method.  Charmed  to  a  degree  of  enthufiafm  with  this 
mode  of  difputing,  I  adopted  it,  and  renouncing  blunt 
contradiction,  and  direct  and  pofitive  argument,  I  af- 
fumed  the  character  of  a  humble  queftioner.  The  pe- 
rufal  of  Shafjfbury  and  Collins  had  made  me  a  fceptic  ; 
and  being  prcviouily  fo  as  to  many  doctrines  of  chrif* 
tianity,  1  found  Socrates'  method  to  be  both  the  fafeft 
for  myfelf,  as  well. as  the  mod  embarrafling  to  thofe 
againft  whom  I  employed  it.  It  foon  afforded  me 
fmgular  pleafure  ;  1  inceiTantly  practifed  it ;  and  became 
very  adroit  in  obtaining,  even  from  perfons  of  fuperior 
tinderftanding,  conceflions  of  which  they  did  not  forefce 
the  confequences.  Thus  1  involved  them  in  difficulties 
from  which  they  were  unable  to  extricate  themfelvey, 
and  fomctimes  obtained  victories  which  neither  my  caufe 
nor  my  argument*  merited. 

This  method  I  continued  to  employ  for  fome  years  j 
bat  I  afterwards  abandoned  it  by  degrees,  retaining  only 
the  habit  of  expreiling  myfelf  with  modcft  diffidence, 
and  never  making  ufe,  when  I  advanced  any  proportion 
which  might  be  controverted,  of  the  words  ctrtainly, 
undoubtedly i  Of  any  others  that  might  give  the  appear 
ance  of  being  obfcinatefy  attached  to  my  opinion.  I 
rather  faid,  I  imagine,  I  fuppofe,  or  it  appear*  to  me, 
that  fuch  a  thing  is  fo  or  fo,  for  fuch  and  ibch  reafons  ; 
or  it  is  fo,  if  I  am  not  miftaken.  This  habit  has,  I 
think,  been  of  confiderablc  advantage  to  me,  when  I 
have  had  occadon  to  imprefs  my  opinion  on  the  ininda 
of  others,  and  perfuade  them  to  the  adoption  of  the  mea- 
fures  I  have  fuggefted.  And  fmcc  the  chief  ends  of 
converfation  are,  to  inform  or  be  informed,  to  pleafe  or 
to  perfuade,  1  could  wifh  thai  intelligent  and  well-mean 
ing  men  would  not  themfelves  dimimih  the  pcnverr,  they 
poflefs  of  being  ufeful,  by  a  poiitive  and  prefumptuous 
manner  of  exprefling  themfelveSj  which  fcarccly  ever 

fails 


[    «    J 

fails  to  difguft  the  hearer,  and  is  only  calculated  to  ex- 
cice  oppofnion,  and  defeat  every  purpofe  for  which  the 
faculty  of  Ipeech  has  bten  befioued  upon  man.  In 
fhort,  if  you  with  to  inform,  a  pofitive  and  dogmatical 
manner  of  advancing  your  opinion  may  provoke  con 
tradiction,  and  prevent  }our  being  heard  with  attention. 
On  the  other  hand,. if,  with  a  defire  of  being  informed, 
and  of  benefiting  by  the  knowledge  of  others,  you  ex- 
pre.fs  yourfelves  as  being  drongly  attached  to  your  own 
opinions, 'inodeft  and  fenfible  men,  who  do  not  love  dif- 
putation,  will  leave  you  in  tranquil  pofieffion  of  your 
errors.  By  following  fuch  a  method,  you  can  rarely 
hope  to  pieafe  your  auditors,  conciliate  their  good- will, 
or  work  conviction  on  thofe  whom  you  cnay  be  defiroos 
of  gaining  over  to  your  views,  Pope  judicicufiy  ob- 
ferves, 

Men  rnufl  be  taught  as  if  you  taught  them  not, 
And  things  unknown  propes'd  as  tilings  forgot. 

And  in  the  fame  poem  he  afterwards  advifes  us, 

To  fpeak,  tho'  fure»  with  feerning    diffidence-. 
He  might  have  added  to  thefe  lines,   one  that  he  has 
coupled  clfewhcre,  in  my  opinion,  with  lefs  propriety. 
It  is  this  : 

For  want   of  rnodefty  is  want  of   fenfe. 
If  you  afk  v/hy  1  fay  with  left  propriety,  I  mull  give  you 
{he  iwo  lines  together  : 

Immotieft  words  admit  of  no  ae/eiite* 
For  want  cf  decency  is  want  of  fenfe. 

Now  want  of  fenfe,  when  a  man  has  the  misfortune  to  be 
fo  circumftance'd,  is  it  not  a  kind  of  excufe  for  want  of 
fhodeity  ?  And  would  not  the  veffes  have  been  more 
accurate,  if  they  had  been  conftrufied  thws  : 

Irrimodefl  words  admit  but  tils  dtft»at 
.     That  want  of  tlecency  is  want  of  Jenie- 
But  I  leave  the  decifion  of  this  fo  better  judges  than 
myfelf. 

In  1720,  or  1721,  my  brother  began  to  print  a  new 
public  paper.  It  was  the  fecond  that  made  its  appear 
ance  in  America,  and  was  entitled  the  New-England 
Cfwrant.  The  only  One  that  cxified  before  was  the 


B-fioft  News-Letter.  Some  of  his  friends,  I  remember, 
would  have  diiTuaded  him  from  this  undertaking,  as  a 
thing  that  was  not  likely  to  fucceed  ;  a  fingle  newfpaper 
being,  in  their  opinion,  ftifficient  for  all  America  At 
prefent,  however,  in  1777,  there  arenolefs  than  twenty- 
five.  But  he  carried  his  project  into  execution,  and  I 
was  employed  in  drftributmg  the  copies  to  his  cuftom- 
ers,  after  having  affifted  in  compoling  and  working  them 
off. 

Among  his  friends  he  had  a  number  of  literary  char- 
afters,  who,  as  an  amufement,  wrote  fhort  eflays  for  the 
paper,  which  gave  it  reputation  and  increafed  its  fale, 
Thefe  gentlemen  came  frequently  to  our  houfc.  I  heard 
the  converfation  that  pafled,  and  the  accounts  they  gave 
of  the  favourable  reception  of  their  writings  with  the 
public.  I  was  tempted  to  try  my  hand  among  them  ; 
but,  being  ftill  a  child  as  it  were,  I  was  fearful  that  my 
brother  might  be  unwilling  to  print  in  his  paper  any 
performance  of  which  he  ihould  know  me  to  be  the  au 
thor.  I  therefore  contrived  to  difgtiife  my  hand,  and 
having  written  an  anonymous  piece,  I  placed  it  at  night 
tinder  the  door  of  the  printing-hotife,  where  it  was  found 
the  next  morning.  My  brother  communicated  it  to  his 
friends,  when  tftey  came  as  ufual  to  fee  him,  who  read 
it,  commented  upon  it  within  fny  hearing,  and  I  had 
the  exquifite  pleafure  to  find  that  it  met  with  their  ap 
probation,  and  that,  in  the  various  conjectures  they  made 
refpefting  the  author,  no  one  was  mentioned  who  did 
not  enjoy  a  high  reputation  in  the  country  for  talents 
and  genius.  I  now  fuppofed  myfelf  fortunate  in  my 
judges,  and  began  to  Aifpecl  that  they  were- not  fuch 
excellent  writers  as  I  had  hitherto  fuppofed  them.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  encouraged  by  this  little  adventure,  i 
wrote  and  fent  to  the  prefs,  in  the  fame  way,  many 
other  pieces,  which  were  equally  approved  ;  keeping  the 
fecret  till  my  (lender  ftock  of  information  and  knowledge' 
for  fuch  perfarmances  was  pretty  completely  cxhaufted, 
when  I  made  oiyfelf  known. 

My  brother,  upon  this  difcovery,  began  to  entertain  a 
Jhtle  morejrefpett  for  me  ;  bat  he  ftill  regarded  him-feif 

as 


I       *4       1 

as  my  marter,  and  treated  me  like  an  apprentice.  He 
thought  himfelf  entitled  to  the  fame  fervices  from  me  a& 
from  any  other  perfon.  On  the  contrary,  I  conceived 
that,  in  many  inftances,  he  was  too  rigorous,  and  that, 
on  the  part  of  a  brother,  I  had  a  right  to  expect  greater 
indulgence.  Our  difjwtes  were  frequently  brought  be 
fore  my  father  ;  and  either  my  brother  was  generally  in 
ihe  wroEg,  or  I  was  the  better  pleader  of  the  two,  fos 
judgment  was  commonly  given  in  my  favour.  But  my 
brother  was  paffionate,  and  often  had  recourfe  to  blows  ; 
a  circumftance  which  I  took  in  very  ill  part.  This  fe- 
vere  and  tyrannical  treatment  contributed,  I  believe,  to 
imprint  on  my  mind  that  averfion  to  arbitrary  power, 
which  during  my  whole  life  I  have  ever  preferved.  My 
apprenticeship  became  infupportable  to  me,  and  I  conti 
nually  fighed  for  an  opportunity  of  ftiortening  it,  which 
at  length  unexpectedly  offered. 

An  article  inferted  in  our  paper  upon  fome  political 
{abjefts  which  I  have  now  forgotten,  gave  offence  to  the 
Alfembly.  My  brother  was  taken  into  cuftody,  cenfured, 
and  ordered  into  confinement  for  a  month,  becaufe,  as  I 
prefume,  he  would  not  difcover  the  author.  I  was  alfo- 
taken  up,  and  examined  before  the  council ;  but,  though 
I  gave  them  no  fatisfadion,  they  contented  themfelves 
with  reprimanding,  and  then  cliftiuiTed  rne  ;  confidering 
me  probably  as  bound,  in  quality  of  apprentice,  to  keep 
my  mailer's  fecrets. 

The  imprisonment  of  my  broil,:::-  .o  tidied  my  refent- 
ment,  notwithftandiug  our  private  quarrels.  Daring  its 
continuance  the  management  of  the  paper  was  entrufted 
to  me,  and  I  was  bold  enough  to  infert  fome  pafquerades 
againft  the  governors ;  which  highly  pleafed  my  brother, 
while  others  began  to  look  upon  me  in  an  unfavourable 
point  of  view,  considering  me  as  a  young  wit' inclined  to 
fatire  and  lampoon. 

My  brother's  enlargement  was  accompanied  with  an 
arbitrary  order  from  the  houfe  of  AffembljT,    ** 
'"  James  Franklin  ihould  no  longer  print  the  newfpaper 
*'  entitled  the  Nt<tq->Etfgl4a4  Coxrant."     In  this  con 
juncture,  we  held  a  ccmf'iltaDoii  of  cur  friends  at  the 

pnrit 


j 


prinfing-feoufe,  in  order  to  determine  what  was  propet 
to  be  done.  Some  propofed  to  evade  the  order,  by 
changing  the  title  of  the  paper  ;  but  my  brother,  forefee- 
ing  inconveniences  tha',  would  refult  from  this  ftep, 
thonght  it  better  that  it  fhould  in  future  be  printed  in 
the  name  of  Benjamin  Franklin  ;  and  to  avoid  the  cen- 
fure  of  the  A  {Terribly,  who  might  charge  him  with  ftill 
printing  the  paper  himfelf,  under  the  name  of  his  ap 
prentice,  it  was  refolved  that  my  old  indentures  ftiould 
be  given  up  to  me,  with  a  full  and  entire  difcharge  writ 
ten  on  the  back,  in  order  to  be  produced  upon  an  emer 
gency  :  but  that,  to  fecure  to  my  biother  the  benefit  of 
my  fervice,  1  (hi  aid  fign  a  new  contract,  which  ftiould 
be  kept  fecret  during  the  remainder  of  the  term.  This 
was  a  very  (hallow  arrangement.  It  was,  however,  car 
ried  into  immediate  execution,  and  the  paper  continued, 
in  confequence,  to  make  its  appearance  for  fome  months 
in  my  name.  At  length  a  new  difference  arifmg  be 
tween  my  brother  and  me,  I  ventured  to  teke  advantage 
of  my  liberty,  prefuming  that  he  would  not  dare  to  pro 
duce  the  new  contrad.  It  was  undoubtedly  difhonoura- 
blc  to  avail  myfelf  of  this  circamftance,  and  I  reckon 
this  action  as  one  of  the  firft  errors  of  my  life ;  but  I  was 
little  capable  of  eftimatitig  it  at  its  true  value,  embittered 
as  my  mind  had  been  by  the  recollection  of  the  blows  I 
had  received.  Exclufively  of  his  paflionate  treatment  of 
me,  my  brother  was  by  no  means  a  man  of  an  ill  temper, 
and  perhaps  ray  manners  had  too  much  of  impertinence 
not  to  afford  it  a  very  natural  iretext. 

When  he  knew  that  it  was  my  determination  to  quit 
him,  he  wiflied  to  prevent  my  finding  employment  elfe- 
where.  He  went  to  all  the  printing  houfes  in  the  town, 
and  prejudiced  the  mailers  againft  me  ;  who  accordingly 
refufed  to  employ  me.  The  idei  then  fuggefted  itfelf  to 
me  of  going  ^to  New- York,  the  neareft  town  in  which 
there  was  a  printing  office.  Farther  reflations  confirmed 
me  in  the  deiign  of  leaving  Bofton,  wherevl  had  already 
rendered  myfelf  an  objed  of  fufpiciou  to  the  governing' 
party.  It  was  probable,  from  the  arbitrary  proceedings 
ef  the  Afiembly  in  the  affair  of  my  brother,  that  by  ft- 
C  V  •"•  'maining, 


r   *^  i 

,  I  iliould  foon  have  been  expofcd  to  difficulties 
which  1  had  the  greater  reafon  to  apprehend,  as,  from 
my  indifcreet  difputes  upon  the  fuhjccl  of  religion,  I -be 
gun  to  be  regarded,  by  pious  fouls,  with  horror,  either 
as  an  apoftate  or  an  atheift.  I  came  therefore  to  a  refo- 
lu-tion  ;  but  ray  father,  in  this  inftance,  fiding  with  my 
brother,  I  prefumed  that  if  I  attempted  to  depart  openly, 
vneafures  would  be  taken  to  prevent  me.  Ivly  friend 
Collins  undertook  to  favour  tny  flight.  He  agreed  for 
my  paffage  with  the  captain  of  a  New^York  Hoop,  to 
whom  he  represented  me  as  a  younj*  man  of  his  acquain 
tance,  who  had  an  affair  with  a  girl  of  bad  character, 
whofe  parents  wifhed  to  compel  me  to  marry  her,  and 
that  of  coniequence  I  could  neither  make  my  appearance 
nor  go  off  publicly.  ]  fold  part  of  my  books  to  procure 
a.fmall  fern  of  money,  and  went  privately  on  board  the 
Hoop.  By  favour  of  a  good  wind,  1  found  myfelf  in 
three  days  at  New- York,  nearly  three  hundred  miles 
from  my  home,  at  the  age  only  of  ferenteen  years,  with 
out  knowing  an  individual  in  the  place,  and  with  very 
little  money  in  my  pceket. 

The  inclination  I  had  felt  for  a  feafaring  life  was  en 
tirely  fubfided,  or  I  mould  now  have  been  able  to  gratify 
It ;  bat  having  another  trade,  and  believing  myfelf  to 
be  a  tolerable  workman,  I  hefuated  not  to  offer  ray  fer- 
Yices  to  the  old  Mr.  William  Bradford,  who  had  been 
the  nril  printer  in  Pennfylvania,  but  had  quitted  that 
province  on  account  of  a  quarrel  with  George  Keith,  the 
governor.  He  could  not  give  me  employment  himfelf, 
having  little  to  do,  and  already  as  many  perfons  as  he 
wanted  ;  but  he  told  me  that  his  fon,  a  printer  at  Phila 
delphia,  had  lately  loft  his  principal  workman,  Arjuiia 
Role,  who  was  dead,  and  that  if  I  would  go  thithec,  he 
believed  that  he  would  en-gage  me.  Philadelphia  was  a 
hundred  miles  farther.  I  befitated  not  to  embark  in  a 
boat,  in  order- to  repair,  by  the  fhorteft  cat  of  the  fea,  to 
Am  boy,  leaving  my  tru-nk  and  eiTecls  to  corns  after  me 
by  the  ufaal  and  more  tedious  conveyance.  In  crofTmg 
the  bay  we  met  withi  a  fquall,  which  fn altered  to  pieces 
our  rotten 'fails,  prevemed  us  from  entering  the  Kill,  and 
threw  us  upon  Long  Iflaad,  During 


During  the  fqaall  a  drunken  Dutchman,  who  likeiny* 
ftflf  was  a  paflenger  in  the  boat,  fell  into  the  fea.  At 
the  moment  that  he  was  finking,  1  feized  him  by  the  fore- 
top*  faved  him,  and  drew  him  on  board.  This  immer 
sion  ibbered  him  a  little,  fo  that  he  fell  aflcep,  after  hav 
ing  taken  from  his  pocket  a  volume,  which  he  requeftcd 
me  to  dry.  This  volume  I  found  to  be  my  old  favour 
ite  work,  Ruby  an '$  Voyages,  in  Dutch,  a  beautiful  irn- 
preflion  on  fine  paper,  with  copperplate  engravings ;  a 
drefa  in  which  I  had  never  feen  it  in  its  original  language. 
I  have  fince  learned  that  it  had  been  translated  into  almoft 
all  the  languages  of  Europe,  and  next  to  the  Bible,  I  am 
perfuaded,  it  is  one  of  the  books  which  has  had  the  great- 
ell  fpread.  Honed  John  is  the  firft,  that  I  know  of,  who 
lias  mixed  narrative  and  dialogue  together  j  a  mode  of 
writing  very  engaging  to  the  reader,  who  in  the  moft  in- 
tcfefting  paflkgefi,  finds  hi mfclf  admitted  as  it  Were  into 
the  company,  and  prefent  at  the  conversation.  De  Foe 
has  imnsitated  it  with  inccefs  in  his  Robinfon  Crufo, 
his  Moll  Flanders,  and  other  works  ;  as  alfo  has  Rich 
ard  Ton  in  his  Pamela,  &c. 

In  approaching  the  iiland  we  found  that  we  had  made 
a  part  of  the  coaft  where  it  was  not  poflible  to  land,  on 
account  of  the  ftrong  breakers  produded  by  the  rocky 
fhorc.  We  caft  anchor  and  veered  the  cable  toward  the 
fhore.  Some  men,  v/ho  flood  upon  the  brink,  hallooed 
to  us,  while  we  did  the  fame  on  our  part ;  but  the  wind 
was  fo  high,  and  the  waves  fo  noify,  that  we  could  nei 
ther  of  as  hear  each  other.  There  were  fome  canoes  up 
on  the  bank,  and  we  called  out  to  them,  and  made  figns 
to  prevail  on  them  to  come  and  take  us  up  ;  but  either 
they  did  not  understand  us,  or  they  deemed  our  requeft 
impracticable,  and  withdrew.  Night  came  on,  and  no 
thing  remained  for  us  but  to  wait  the  fubiiding  of  the 
wind ;  till  when  we  determined  (that  is,  the  pilot  and 
I)  to  fleep  if  poffible.  For  that  parpofe  we  went  below 
the  hatches  along  with  the  Dutchman,  who  was  drench 
ed  with  water.  The  fea  broke  over  the  boat,  and  reach- 
ed  us  in  our  retreat,  fo  that  we  were  prefcntly  as  com 
pletely  drenched  as  he. 

C    Z  Wr 


'  -   I     2g     .1 

We  had  very  little  rcppfe  during  the  whole  night  ; 
but  the  wind  abating  the  next  day,  we  fucceeded  in 
reaching  Amboy  before  it  was  dark,'  after  having  pafied 
thirty  hours  without  provifions,  and  with  no  other  drink 
than  a  bottle  of  bad  rum,  the  water  upon  which  we  row 
ed  being  fait.  Jn  the  evening  I  went  to  bed  with  a  .vio 
lent  fever.  I  had  fomewhere  read  that  cold  water,  drank 
plentifully,  was  a  remedy  in  fuch  cafes.  I  followed  the 
prefcripdon,  was  in  a  profufc  fweat  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  night,  and  the  fever  left  me.  The  next  day  1  crof- 
fed  the  river  in  a  ferry-boat,  and  continued  my  journey 
on  foot.  I  had  fifty  miles  to  walk,  in  order  to  reach 
Burlington,  where  I  was  told  Ifhould  nnd  paflage-boats 
that  would  convey  me  to  Philadelphia.  It  rained  hard 
the  whole  day,  fo  that  I  was  wet  to  the  {kin.  Finding 
myfelf  fatigued,  about  noon  1  flopped  at  a  paltry  inn, 
where  I  paired  the  reft  of  the  day  and  the  whole  night, 
beginning  to  regret  that  I  had  quitted  my  home.  I  made, 
betides  fo  wretched  a  figure,  that. I  was  fufpefted  to  be 
fome  run-away  fervant.  This  I  difcovered  by  the  quei- 
tions  that  were  afked  me ;  and  I  felt  that  I  was  every 
moment  in  danger  of  being  taken  up  as  fuch;  The 
next  day,  however,  1  continued  my  journey,  and  arriv 
ed  in  the  evening  at  an  inn,  eight  or  ten  miles  from 
Burlington,  that  was  kept  by  one  Dr.  Brown. 

This  man  entered  into  convcrfation  with  me  while 
I  took  fome  refrefhment,  and  perceiving  that  I  had  read 
a  little,  he  expreffed  towards  me  confiderable  intereft 
and  friendship.  Our  acquaintance  continued  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  1  believe  him  to  have  been  what 
is  called  an  itinerant  doctor;  for  there  was  no  town  in 
England,  or  indeed  in  Europe,  of  which  he  could  not 
give  a  particular  account.  He  was  neither  deficient  in 
understanding  nor  literature,  but  he  was  a  fad  infidel  ; 
and,  fome  years  after,  undertook  to  travcfty  the  Bible 
in  burlefque  verfe,  as  Cotton  has  traveftied  Virgil.  He 
exhibited,  by  this  means,  many  fafts  in  a  very  ludicrous 
point  of  view,  which  would  have  given  umbrage  to  weak 
minds,  had  his  work  been  publilhed,  which  it  never  was.. 
.  I  fpent  the  night  at  his  houfe,  and  reached  Burlington 

the 


next  morning.  On  1:17  nrrival,  I  had  the  mortification 
to  learn  that  the  ordinary  pa iTage- boats  had  failed  a  lit 
tle  before.  This  was  on  a  Saturday,  and  there  would 
be  no  other  boat  till  the  Tuefday  following.  1  returned 
to  the  houfe  of  an  old  woman  in  the  town  who  had  fold 
?ne  fome  gingerbread  to  eat  on  my  paffage,  and  I  afked 
her  advice.  She  invited  me  to  take  up  my  abode  with 
her  till  an  opportunity  offered  for  me  to  embark/  Fa 
tigued  with  having  travelled  fo  far  on  foot,  I  accepted 
her  invitation.  When  (he  underftood  that  I  was  a  print 
er,  {he  would  have  perfuaded  me  to  ftay  at  Burlington, 
nnd  fet  up  my  trade  :  but  Ihe  was  little  aware  of  the 
capital  that  woald  be  neceffary  for  fueh  a  ptrrpcffe  !  I 
was  treated  while  at  her  houfe  with  true  hofpitality. 
She  gave  me,  with  the  ntmoit  good-will,  a  dinner  of 
beef-'fteaks,  and  would  accept  of  nothing  in  return  but 
a  pint  of  ale. 

Here  I  imagined  myfelf  to  be  fixed  till  the  Tuefday 
in  the  enfuing  week  ;  but  walking  out  in  the  evening 
by  the  fiver  ilde,  I  faw  a  boat  with  a  number  of  perfons 
in  it  approach.  It  was  going  to  Philadelphia,  and  the 
company  took  me  in.  As  there  was  no  wind,  we  could 
only  make  way  with  our  oars.  About  midnight,  not 
perceiving  the  town,  fome  of  the  company  were  of  v- 
pinion  that  we  muft  have  pailed  ir,  and  were  unwilling 
to  row  any  farther;  the  reft  not  knowing  where  we 
were,  it  was  refolved  that  we  ihoald  &op.  We  drew  to* 
wards  the  fhore,  entered  a  creek,  and  landed  near  fome 
old  palifades,  which  fcrved  us  for  fire- wood,  it  being 
a  ccld  night  in  Oftober.  Here  we  Itayed  till  dny, 
when  one  of  the  company  found  the  place  in  which  we 
were,  to  be  Cooper's  Creek,  a  little  above  Philadelphia  ; 
which  in  reality  we  perceived  the  moment  we  were  out 
of  the  Creek.  We  arrived  on  Sunday  about  eight  or 
fiirie  o'clock  in  the  rnornicg,  and  landed  on  Market- 
ffcreet  wharf. 

I  have  entered  into  the  particulars  of  my  voyage,  and 
lliall  in  like  manner  dcfcribe  my  firft  entrance  into  this 
viry,  that  you  may  be  able  to  compare  beginnings,  fo  lit 
tle  aufpici^r,  with  the  figure  1  have  fince  made. 

C  3  On 


'On  my  arrival  at  Philadelphia  I  vss  in  my  working 
drefs,  my  belt  clothes  being  to  come  by  ila.  "l  was  cov 
ered  with  dirt;  my  pockets  were  filled  with  ihirts  and. 
ftocklngs  ;  I  was  unacquainted  with  a  (ingle  foul  in  the 
place,  and  knew  not  where  ro  feck  for  a  lodging,  Fa- 
signed  with  walking,  rowing,  and  bavjng  p{&4  t'-,e 
night  without  fleep,  1  was  extremely  hungry,  and  all  my 
money  conii lied  of  a  Dutch  dollar,  and  about  a  milling's 
worth  of  coppers,  which  1  gave  to  the  boatmen  for  my 
paiTage.  As  I  had  afliiled  them  in  rowing  they  refilled 
it  at  fir  ft  ;  but  I  infilled  on  their  taking' it.  A  man  is 
fomctimes  more  generous  when  he  has  littk*,  than  when 
he  has  much  money  ;  probably  becaufe,  in  the  firft  cafe, 
he  is  defirotrs  of  concealing  his  poverty. 

I  walked  towards  the  top  of  the  rlreet,  looking  eagerly 
on  both  fides,  till  I  came  to  Market-ftreet,  where  I  avst 
a  child  with  a  loaf  of  bread.  Often  had  I  made  my 
dinner  on  dry  bread.  I  inquired  where  he  had  bought 
it,  and  went  ftrait  to  the  baker's  (hop  which  he  pointed 
out  to  roe.  1  alked  for  fome  bifcuits,  expecting  to  find 
fuch  as  we  had  at  Bofron ;  but  they  made,  it  feems,  none 
of  that  fort  at  Philadelphia.  I  then  afeed  for  a  three 
penny  loaf.  They  made  no  loaves  of  that  price.  Find- 
ir.g  myfelf  ignorant  of  the  prices,  as  well  as  of  the  dif 
ferent  kinds  of  bread,  I  defired  him  to  let  me  have  three 
penny-worth  of  bread  of  fome  kind  or  other.  He  gave 
me  three  large  rolls.  I  was  farprized  at  receiving 
fo  much :  I  took  them,  however,  and  having  no  room 
in  my  pockets,  I  walked  on  with  a  roll  under  each  arm, 
eating- the  third.  In  this  manner  I  went  through  Mar? 
ket-fireeT  to  Fourth- flreet,  and  pafTcd  the  houfe  of  Mr. 
Read,  ths  father  of  my  future  wife.  She  was  (landing 
at  the  door,  obferved  me,  and  thought,  with  reafon, 
that  I  made  a  very  fingular  and  grotefque  appearance. 

I  then  turned  the  corner,  and  went  through  Chefnut- 
flreet,  eaiing  rr-y  roll  all  the  way;  and  having  made  this 
round,  1  found  myfelf  a^ain  on  Market -fireet  wharf, 
near  the  boat  in  which  1  had  arrived.  I  Hepped  into  it 
to  take  a  draught  of  river-water;  and  finding  m) •  felf 
->;ed  with  iny  firfi  roll,  I 'gave  the  other  two  to.  a  wo- 

oiao. 


L       3'       J 

roan  and  .her  child,  w4io  had  come  down  the  river  with 
us  in  the  boat,  and  was  waiting  to  continue  her  journey. 
Thus  refrelhed,  1  regained  the  ftreet,  which  was  now 
full  of  well-dreiTed  people,  all  -going  the  fame  way.  I 
joined  them,  and  was  thus  led  to  a  large  Quaker's  meet- 
ing-houfe-  near  the  market  ptece,  I  fat  down  with  the 
reft,  and  after  looking  round,  me  Cor  fome  time,  hearing 
nothing  faid,  and  bein«$  drowfy  from  my  lad  night's  la 
bour  and  want  of  rdtr,  I  fell  into  a. found  fleep.  In  this 
ftate.  I  continued  till  the  affemMy  difperfed,  when  one  of 
the  congregation  had. the  goodnefs.  to  wake  me.  This 
was  corifequendy  the  firft.houfe  I  entered,  or  in  which 
I  flept  at  Philadelphia. 

I  began  again  to  walk  along  the  fireets  by  the  river 
fide ;  and  looking  attentively  in  ihe  ftce  of  every  one  I 
met,  I  at  length  perceived  a  young  quaker,  whofe  coun 
tenance  pleafed  -me*  I  accofted  him,  and  begged  him 
to  inform  me  where  a  ft  ranger  might  find  a  lodging. 
•We  were  then  near  the  fign  of  the  Three  Mariners. 
They  receive  travellers  here,  faid  ho,  but  it  is  not  a  hbufe 
that  bears  a, good  character  ;  if  y©u  will  go  with  me,  I 
will  (hew  you  a  better  one.  He  jccaducled  me  to  the 
Crooked  Billet,  in  Water-drest,  There  I  ordered 
fornething  tor  dinner  ;  and  during  my  meal,  a  number 
of  curious  queftions  \?ere  pur  to  me  ;  my  youth  and  ap 
pearance  exciting  the  fufpicion  of  my  being  a  ran-away. 
After  dinner  my  drowfmefs  returned,  and  I  threw  my- 
felf  upon  a  bed  without  taking  off  my  clothes,  and  flept 
till  fix  o'clock  in  the  eveaing,  .when  I  was  called  to  fop- 
per.  I  afterwards  went  to  bed  at  a  very  early  hour, 
and  did  not  wake  till  the  next  morning. 

As  foon  as  I  got  up,  I  put  tnyfelf  in  as  decent  a  trim 
as  I  could,  and  went  to  the  houfe  of  Andrew  Bradford 
the  printer.  I  found  his  father  in  the  fhop,  whom  1  had 
feen  at  New  York.  Having  travelled  oa  horfeback, 
he  had  arrived  at  Philadelphia  befjre  me.  He  intro 
duced  rae  to  his  fon,  who  received  me  with  civility,  and 
gave  me  fome  breakfaft  ;  but  told  me  he  had  no  occa^ 
£.on  for  a  journeyman,  having  lately  procured  one.  He 
added,  that  there  was  another  primer  newly  fettled  in 

the 


C       '3>-      * 

the  town,  of  the  name  of  Kelmer,  ^ho  might  perhaps 
employ  me  ;  and  in  cafe  of  a  refafal,  I  fhduld  he  wei- 
come  to  lodge  at  his  houfe,  and  he  would  give  tne  A  lit- 
tic  work  now  and  then,  till  fomething  better 


The  6ld  rnan  offered  to  introduce  me  to  the  new  print 
er.  When  we  were  at  his  houfe,  "  Neighbour,"  fnid 
fee,  <«  I  bring  yofc  a  young  man  in  the  printing  baftnefs; 
c*  perhaps  yoa  m*f  ha*e  need  of  his  fcrtices." 

Keimer  aiked  me  iome  queftiofts,  put  a  compofing 
flick  in  my  hand  to  fee  how  I  could  work,  and  then 
fatd,  that  at  prefent  he  had  nothing  for  me  to  do,  but 
that  he  fhould  foon  be  able  to  employ  inc.  At  the  fame 
time  taking  old  Bradford  for  an  inhabitant  of  the  town 
well-difpofed  towards  him,  he  communicated  his  project 
to  him,  arrd  the  profpecl  he  had  of  ftfccefs.  Bradford 
was  careful  not  to  difcover  that  he  was  the  fathef  of  the 
other  printer  ;  and  from  what  Keimer  had  faid,  that  he 
hoped  ftiortly  to  be  in  poiTeirion  of  the  greater  part  of 
the  buiinefs  of  the  town,  led  him,  by  artful  queftions,- 
and  by  ftarting  fome  difficulties,  to  difclofe  all  his  views^ 
wftat  his  hopes  were  founded  upon,  and  how  he  intended 
to  proceed.  I  was  prefent,  and  heard  it  all.  I  inftaritly 
faw  that  one  of  the  two  was  a  cunning  old  fox,  and  the 
other  a  perfect  novice.  Bradford  left  me  with  Keimer, 
who  was  itrangely  furprifed  when  1  informed  him  whd 
the  old  man  was. 

I  found  Kei  Biers  printing  materials  to  confift  of  an 
old  damaged  prefs,  and  a  fmall  cait  of  worn-out  Englif^ 
letters,  with  which  he  was  himfelf  at  work  upon  an  elegy 
on  Aquila  Rofe,  whom  I  have  mentioned  above,  an  in 
genious  young  man,  and  of  an  excellent  character,  high 
ly  eileemed  in  the  town,  Secretary  to  the  Affernbly,  and 
a  very  tolerable  poet.  Keimer  alfo  made  verfes,  but 
they  were  indifferent  ones.  He  could  not  be  faid  to 
write  in  verfr,  for  his  method  was  to  take  and  fet  the 
lines  as  they  flowed  from  his*  mufc  ;  and  as  he  worked 
at  copy,  ha<$  but  one  fet  of  letter-cafes,  and  the 
would  probabl)  occupy  all  his  type,  it  was  impof- 
for  any  out  to  ailift  him,  I-  endeavoured  to  p»t  hk 


I      33      1 

prcft  in  order,  which  he  had  not  yet  ufcJ,  and  of  which 
iadeed  he  underftood  nothing  :  and  h™"&  P1?™**'. 
come  and  work  off  his  elegy  arfoon  as  it  fhouM  be  rea 
dy     I  returned  to  the  houfe  of  Bradford,   who 'gave  me 
Come  trifle  to  do  for  the  -prcfcnf,    for  ;  which   3 
board  and  lodging.  ".  . 

In  a  few  days  Keimer'fent  for  me  to  print  off  hiselegy. 
He  had  now  procured  ahofherfet  of  letter-cafes;  and  had 
a -pamphlet  to  reprint,  upon  which  he  fet  me  to  work. 

The  two    Philadelphia   printers   appeared 'depute  o: 
every  qualification  neceffary in  their  ptbfeflion.  Brad 
had  not  been  brought  np  to  it,  and  was  very  illiterate. 
Keimer,    though  he  underftood  a  .little  of  the  bulmefs, 
was  merely  a  coropofitor,  and  wholly  incapable  erf  work- 
in"  at  the  prefs.     He  had  one   of  the    French  prophets, 
and  knew  how  to  imitate  their  fupernaturai  agitations. 
At  the  time  of  our  firft  acquaintance  he  prafeffed  no  pw 
ticular  reliaion,    but  a  little  of  all  upon  occaiion. 
was  toullylgnorant  of  the  world,  and  a  great  knave  a 
heart  as  I  had  afterwards  an  opportunity  ot  experiencing. 
Keimer  could  not  endure  that,  working  with  him,  I 
ihould  lod»e  at  Bradford's.     He    had  indeed   a   houfe, 
but  it  vvas°unfurni<hed  ;  fo  that  he  could  not  take  me  in. 
He  procured  me  a  lodging  at  Mr.  Read's,  his  landbrd. 
-whom  I  have  already  mentioned.     My  trunk  and  etFefts 
being  now  arrived,  I  thought  of  making,  in  the  eyes  ol 
MifsRead,    a   more  refpea able  appearance   than  whe 
chance  exhibited  me  to  her  view,   eating  my  roli,   ana 
wandering  in  the  ftreers. 

From  this  period  I  began  to  contract  acquaints  tee 
%vith  fuch  young  people  of  the  town  as  were  fond  at 
reading  and  fpent  my  evenings  with  them  agreeably, 
while  at  the  fame  time  I  gained  money  by  my  mduttry, 
and,  thanks  to  my  frugality,  lived  contented, 
forgot  Bofton  as  ^uch  as  pofiible,  and  wiihed  every  one. 
to  be  ignorant  of  the  place  of  my  refidence,  except  my 
friend  Collins,  to  whom  I  wrote,  and  who  kept  my 
fee  ret. 

An  incident  however  arrived,  wHch   fent  me 
much  fooner  than  1  had  pronofcd.     I  h*4  a  brother-in- 


t      34      ] 

law,  of  the  nasne  of  Robert  Holme.8,  maftttr  of  a  trading 
floop  from  Bofton  to  Delaware.  Being  at  Newcaftle, 
forty  miles  below  Philadelphia,  he  htard  of  me,  and 
wrote  to  inform  me  of  the  chagrin  which  my  fudden  de 
parture  from  Bofton  had  occafioned  my  parents,  and  of 
the  affedion  which  they  flili  entertained  for  me,  affuring 
me  that,  if  I  would  return,  every  thing  (hould  be  adjuit- 
cd  to  ray  fatisfaclion  ;  and  he  was  very  prefling  in  his 
entreaties.  1  anfwered  his  letter,  thanked  him  for  his 
advire,  and  explained  trre  reafons  which  had  induced  me  to 
quit  Bofton,  with  fnch  force  and  clearnefs,  that  he  was 
convinced  I  had  been  lefs  to  blame  than  he  had  imagined. 
Sir  William  Keith,  governor  of  the  province,  was  at 
Newcaftle  at  the  time.  Capt.  Holmes,  being  by  chance 
in  his  company  when  he  received  my  letter,  took  ccca- 
lion  to  fpeak  of.  me,  and  fhewed  it  him.  The  governor 
read  it,  and  appeared  furprifed  when  he  learned  my  age. 
He  thought  me,  he  laid,  a  young  man  of  very  promifing 
talents,  and  that  of  confequenre  I  ought  to  be  encourag 
ed  ;  that  there  were  at  Philadelphia  none  but  very  igno 
rant  printers,  and  that,  if  I  were  to  fet  up  for  myielf, 
he  had  no  doubt  of  my  fuccefs  ;  that,  for  his  own  part, 
he  would  procure  me  all  the  public  bufmefs,  and  would 
render  me  every  other  fcrvice  in  his  power.  My  brother- 
in-law  related  all  this  to  me  afterwards  at  Bofton  ;  but  I 
knew  nothing  of  it  at  the  time  j  when  one  day  Keimer 
and  I  being  at  work  together  near  the  window,  we  faw 
the  governor,  and  another  gentleman,  Col.  French  of 
Newcaftle,  handfomely  dreffed,  crofs  the  ftreet,  and 
make  directly  for  our  houfe.  We  heard  them  at  the 
door,  and  Keimer,  believing  it  to  be  a  viiit  to  himfe«f, 
went  immediately  down  ;  but  the  governor  inquired  for 
me,  came  up  flairs,  and,  with  a  condefcenficn  and  po- 
litenefs  to  which  I  had  not  at  all  been  acc«iioira>d,  paid 
me  many  complirDems,  defired  to  be  acquainted  with 
me,  obligingly  reproached  me  fcrnot  having  made  my- 
felf  known  to  him  on  my  aiHval  in  the  town,  and  wifhed 
me  to  accompany  him  to  a  tavern,  where  he  and  Colonel 
French  were  goir-£»  'to'  tafte  fonve  excellent  Madeira 
wine. 

I 


t      35      ] 

I  was,  I  confefs,  fomevvhat  furprifed,  and  Keimtr  ap 
peared  thunderftruck.  I  went  however  with  the  gover 
nor  and  the  colonel  to  a  tavern  at  the  corner  of  Third* 
Srcet,  where,  while  we  were  drinking  the  Madeira,  he 
propofed  to  me  to  eftablifh  a  printing-houfe.  He  fee 
j'brth  the  probabilities  of  fuccefs,  and  tiimfelf  and  colo 
nel  French  affurcd  rne  that  I  (houM  have  their  projection 
and  influence  in  obtaining  the  printing  of  the  public  pa 
pers  of  both  government  j  and  as  1  appeared  to  doubt 
whether  my  father  would  affift  me  in  this  enterprise,  Sir 
William  faid  that  he  would  give  me  a  letter  to  him,  in 
which  he  would  reprefent  the  advantages  of  the  fcherae, 
in  a  light  which  he  had  no  doubt  would  determine  him* 
It  was  thus  concluded  that  I  fhould  return  fo  Bofton  by 
the  firft  veffel,  with  the  letter  of  recommendation  from 
the  governor  to  my  father.  Meanwhile  the  proje-ft  w$$. 
to  be  kept  ftccrcr,  and  I  continued  to  work  for  Keimef 
33  before. 

The  governor  feat  every  now  and  then  to  invite  me 
to  dine  with  him.  I  confidered  this  as  a  very  great 
honour  j  and  I  was  the  more  fenfible  of  it,  as  he  con 
verged  with  me  in. the  mofl  affable,  familiar,  and  friendly 
manner  imaginable. 

Towards  the  end  of  April  17.24*  a  froall  veiTel  was 
ready  to  fail  for  Bofton.  I  took  leave  of  Keiiner,  upon 
the  pretext  of  going  to  fee  my  parents.  The  governor 
gave  rne  a  long  letter,  in  which  he  faid  many  flattering 
things  of  me  to  my  father ;  and  ftrongly  recommended 
the  project  of  my  fettliag  at  Philadelphia,  as  a  thing 
which  could  not  fail  to  make  my  fortune. 

Going  down  the  bay  we  {truck  on  a  fiat,  and  {prong 
a  leak.  The  weather  was  very  ternpcflucus,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  pump  without  mtermiflion  ;  I  took  my 
turn.  We  arrived  however  fafe  and  found  at  Bofton, 
after  about  a  fortnight's  paiTage. 

1  had  been  abfent  feven  complete  months,  and  my  re 
lations,,  during  that  interval,  had  received  no  intelligence 
of  me  ;  for  my  brother-in-law,  Holmes,  was  not  yet  re* 
turned;  and  had  not  written  about  me.  My  unexpected 
»p|)caranc€'for^irifed  the  family;  but  they  were  all  de 
lighted 


t    36    J 

lighted  at  feeing  roe  again,  and,  except  my  brother, 
welcomed  me  home.  1  went  to  him  at  the  printing- of 
fice.  I  was  better  dreficd  than  I  had  ever  been  while  in 
his  fervice  ;  I  had  a  complete  Am  01  clothes,  new  and 
near,  a  watch  in  my  pockrr,  and  ny  purfe  was  furnifhed 
with  nearly  five  pounds  iieriing  iii  money.  He  gave  me 
no  very  civil  reception  j  and  having  ejcd  me  from  head 
to  foot,  refumed  his  work. 

The  workmen  a  iked  me  with  eager  nefs  where  I  had 
been,  what  fort  of  a  country  it  was,  and  how  I  liked -it. 
1  fpoke  in  the  higheft  terms  of  Philadelphia,  the  happy 
life  we  Jed  there,  and  exprciled  my  intention  of  going 
back  again  One  of  them  alked  what  forr  of  money  we 
had.  I  difplayed  before  them  a  handful  of  filver,  which 
I  drew  from  my  pocket.  This  was  a  curiofity  to  which 
they  were  not  accuftomed,  paper  being  the  current  mon 
ey  at  Bofton.  I  failed  not  after  this  to  let  them  fee  my 
watch  ;  and  at  laft,  my  brother  continuing  fallen  and 
out  of  humour,  I  gave  them  a  milling  to  drink,  and 
took  my  leave.  This  viiit  flung  my  brother  to  the 
foul ;  for  when,  fhonly  after,  my  mother  fpoke  to  him 
of  a  reconciliation,  and  a  defire  of  feeing  us  upon  good 
terms,  he  told  her  that  I  had  fa  infulted  him  before  his 
men,  that  he  would  never  forget  or  forgive  it  :  in  this, 
however,  he  was  miftaken. 

The  governor's  letter  appeared  to  excite  in  my  father 
fome  furprife  ;  but  he  fr.id  little.  After  fome  days, 
Capt.  Holmes  being  returned,  he  fhewed  it  him,  aiking 
him  if  he  knew  Keith,  and  what  fort  of  a  man  he  was  : 
adding,  that,  in  his  opinion  it  proved  v-ery  little  dif- 
cernment  to  think  of  fetting  up  a  boy  in  bufinefs,  who 
for  three  years  to  ccm,e  would  not  be  of  an  age  to  be 
ranked  in  the  clafs  of  men.  Holmes  faid  every  thing  he 
could  .in  favour  of  the  fcheme  ;  but  my  father  firmly 
maintained  its  abfurdity,  and  at  laift  gave  a  pofitive  re« 
fufal.  He  wrote,  however,  a  civil  letter  to  Sir  William, 
thanking  him  fo.r  the  protection  he  had  fo  . obligingly 
offered  me,  but  refufing  to  affiit  me  for 'the.prefen V  be- 
caufe  he  thought  me  too  young  -to.be  ent'rufted  with  -the 
conduct  of  fo  important  an;eflterprifc,  an4  which  would 
require  fo  considerable  a  fum  of  money.  My 


[      37      J 

My  old  comrade  Collins,  who  was  a  clerk  in  the 
poft-ofiee,  charmed  with  the  account  I  gave  of  my  new 
residence,  exprefled  a  defire  of  going  thither ;  and  while  I 
waited  my  father's  determination,  he  fet  off  before  me, 
by  land,  for  Rhode-Ifland,  leaving-his  books,  which 
formed  3.  handfome  collection  in  mathematics  and  natu 
ral  phi'ofopby,  to  be  conveyed  with  mine  to  New- York, 
where  he  purpoied  to  wait  for  me. 

My  father,  though  he  could  not  approve  Sir  William's 
propofa!,  was  yet  pleafed  that  I  had  obtained  fo  advan 
tageous  a  recommendation  as  that  of  a  perfon  of  his  rank, 
and  that  iny  induftry  and  economy  had  enabled  me  to 
equip  myfelf  fo  handibmely  io  fo  fliort  a  period.  Seeing 
no  appearance  of  accommodating  matters  between  my 
brother  and  me,  he  confented  to  my  return  to  Philadel 
phia,  advifed  me  to  be  civil  to  every  body,  to  endeavour 
to  obtain  general  efteem,  and  avoid  fatire  and  farcafm, 
to  which  he  thought  1  was  too  much  inclined;  adding, 
that,  with  perfeverance  and  prudent  economy,  I  might, 
by  the  time  I  became  of  age,  fave  enough  to  eftablifh 
myfclt  in  bufinefs  ;  and  that,  if  a  fmall  ftim  Ihould  then 
be  wanting,  he  would  undertake  to  fupply  it. 

This  was  all  I  could  obtain  from  him,  except  feme 
trifling  prefents,  in  token  of  friendihip,  from  him  and 
my  mother.  I  embarked  once  more  for  New- York, 
furnifhed  at  this  rime  with  their  approbation  and  .bleff- 
ing.  The  Hoop  having  touched  at  Newport  in  Rhode- 
Jlland,  I  paid  a  vint  to  my  brother  John,  who  had  for 
Tome  years  been  fettled  there,  and  was  married.  He  had 
always  been  attached  to  me,  and  received  me  with  great 
affeclion.  One  of  his  friends,  whole  name  was  Vernon, 
having  a  debt  of  about  thirty- fix  pounds  due  to  him  in 
Pennfylvania,  begged  me  to  receive  it  for  him,  and  keep 
the  money  till  I  ihould  hear  from  him  :  accordingly  he 
gave  me  an  order  for  that  purpofe.  This  affair  occa- 
iioned  me,  in  the  fequel,  much  ur.eafinefs. 

At  Newport  we  took  on  board  a  number  of  paiTen- 
gers ;  among  whom  were  two  young  women,  an  '  a  grave 
and  fenfible  quaker  lady  with  her  fervants  1  had  fhown 
an  obliging  forwardness  in  rendering  the  quaker  forne 

D  trifling 


[       3*       J 

trifling  fervices,  which  led  her,  probably,  to  fee!  feme 
intereft  in  my  welfare  ;  for  when  fbe  faw  a  familiarity- 
take  place,  and  every  day  increafc,  between  the  two 
young  women  and  me,  (he  took  me  aiide  and  faid, 
**  Young  man,  I  am  in  pain  for  dice.  Thou  haft  no 
parent  to  watch  over  thy  condtic't,  and  thou  feemeft  to 
l>e  ignorant  of  the  world,  and  the  fnares  to  which  youth 
is  expofed.  Rely  upon  what  I  tell  thee  :  thofe  are  wo 
men  of  bad  characters ;  I  perceive  it  in  all  their  actions. 
If  thou  doll  not  take  care,  they  will  lead  thee  into  dan 
ger.  They  ate  ftra-nger*  to  thee,  and  I  advife  thee,  by 
the  friendly  intereft  I  take  in  thy  prefervation,  to  form 
no  conn«<ftion  with  them."  As  I  appeared  at  firft  not  to 
think  quite  fo  ill  of  them  as  (he  did,  fhe  related  many 
things  (he  had  feen  and  heard,  which  had  efcaped  my 
attention,  but  which  convinced  me  me  was  in  the  right. 
I  thanked  her  for  her  obliging  advice,  and  promifed  to 
follow  it. 

When  we  arrived  at  New- York,  they  informed  me 
where  they  lodged,  and  invited  me  to  come  and  fee 
them.  I  did  not  however  go,  and  it  was  well  I  did  not ; 
for  the  next  day,  the  captain,  miffing  a  iilver  fpoon  and 
fome  other  things  which  had  been  taken  from  the  cabin, 
and  knowing  thefe  women  to  be  proftitutes,  procured  a 
fearch  warrant,  found  the  flolen  goods  upon  them,  and 
had  them  punifhed.  And  thus,  after  having  been  faved 
from  one  ro«k  concealed  under  water,  upon  which  the 
veffel  tfruck  during  our  paffage,  I  efcaped  another  of  a 
jftiil  more  .dangerous  nature. 

At  New- York  I  found  my  friend  Collins,  who  had 
arrived  feme  time  before.  We  had  been  intimate  from 
our  infancy,  and  had  read  the  fume  books  together ;  but 
he  had  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  devote  more  time 
to  reading  and  ftudy,  and  an  aftonilhing  difpofition  for 
mathematics,  in  which  he  kft  me  far  behind.  ^  When  at 
Bofton,  I  had  been  accuftomed  to  pafs  with  him  aimoil 
all  my  leifure  hours.  He  was  then  a  fobcr  and  inJuf- 
trious  lad  ;  his  knowledge  had  gained  him^a  very  gene 
ral  etteem,  and  he  feemcd  to  promife  to  make  an  advan 
tageous  figure  in  focfctv.  But,  during  my  abfence,  he 

hud 


[       3'9       I 

had  unfortunately  addicted  hirafelf  to  brandy,  and  I 
learned,  as  well  from  himfelf  as  from  the  report  of  others, 
that  every  day  u'nce  his  arrival  at  New- York  he  had 
been  intoxicated,  and  had  a£ted  in  a  very  extravagant 
manner.  He  had  alfo  played,  and  loft  all  his  money ;. 
fo  that  I  was  obliged  to  pay  all  his  expencts  at  the  inn, 
and  to  maintain  him  during  the  reft  of  the  journey  j  a 
burden  that  was  very  inconvenient  to  me. 

The  governor  of  New- York,  whofe  name  was  Bur- 
rent,  hearing  the  captain  fay  that  a  young  man  who  was 
a  paiTenger  in  his  map  had  a  great  number  of  books, 
begged  hirn  to  bring  me  to  his  houfe.  "I  accordingly 
went,  and  fnould  have  takeo  Collins  with  me,  had  he 
been  fober.  The  governor  treated  me  with  great  civility, 
fhewed  me  his  library,  which  was  a  very  confiderable  one, 
and  we  talked  for  fome  time  upon  boojks  and  authors. 
This  was  the  fecond  governor  who  had  honoured  me 
with  his  attention  ;  and  to  a  poor  boy,  as  I  then  was, 
thefe  little  adventures  did  not  fail  to  be  pkailng. 

We  arrived  at  Philadelphia.  On  the  way  I  received 
Vernon's  money,  without  which  we  iliould  have  been< 
,unable  to  have  finifhed  our  journey. 

Collins  wifhed  to  get  employment  as  a  merchant's 
clerk  ;  but  either  his  breath  or  his  countenance  betrayed 
his  bad  habit ;  for,  though  he  had  recommendations,  he 
met  with  no  fuccefs,  and  continued  to  lodge  and  eat  with 
me,  and  at  my  ex  pence.  Knowing  that  I  had  Vernon'a 
money,  he  was  continually  afking  me  to  lend  him  foiae 
of  it  ;  promifmg  to  repay  me  as  foon  as  he  fliould  get 
employment.  At  laft  he  had  drawn  fo  much  of  this 
money,  that  I  was  extremely  alarmed  at  what  might  be 
come  of  me,  mould  he  fail  to  make  good  the  deficiency. 
His  habit  of  drinking  did  not  at  all  diminifh,  and  was 
a  frequent  fource  of  difcord  between  us  :  for  when  he 
had  drank  a  little  too  much,  he  was  very  headftrong. 

Being  one  day  in  a  boat  together,  on  the  Delaware, 
with  fome  other  young  perfons,  he  refufed  to  take  his 
turn  in  rowing.  You  iliall  row  for  me,  faid  he,  till  we 
get  home. — No,  I  replied,  .we  will  not  row  for  you.-— 
It  oa  (hall,  faid  he,  or  remain  upon  the  water  all  night. — 
D  2  As 


[       40       ] 

As  you  pleafc. — Let  us  row,  faid  the  reft  of  the  comps- 
ny  :  what  fignifies  whether  he  affifts  or  not.  But,  al 
ready  angry  with  him  for 'his  conduct  in  other  refpecls, 
I  perfifted  in  ray  refufal.  He  then  {wore  that  he  would 
.make  me  row,  or  would  throw  me  out  of  the  boar ;  and 
he  made  up  to  me.  As  foon  as  he  was  within  my  reach, 
I  took  him  by  the  collar,  gave  him  a  violent  thruft,  and 
threw  him  head-foremoft  into  the  river.  I  knew  rhat  he 
was  a  good  fwimmer,  and  was  therefore  under  no  ap.pre- 
henfions  for  his  life. 

Before  he  could  turn  himfelf,  we  were  able,  by  a  few 
ftrokes  of  our  oars,  to  place  ourfelves  out  of  his  reach  ; 
and  whenever  he  touched  the  boat,  we  aiked  him  if  he 
would  row,  (hiking  his  hands  with  the  oars,  to  make 
him  let  go  his  hold.  He  was  nearly  fufFocated  wifh 
rage,  but  obftinately  refufed  making  any  promife  to 
row.  Perceiving  at  length  that  his  ftrength  began  to  be 
cxhaufted,  we  took  him  into  the  boat,  and  conveyed  him 
home  in  the  evening,  completely  drenched.  The  utmoft 
celdnefs  fubfifled  between  us  after  this  adventure.  At 
laft  the  captain  of  a  Weil- India  (hip,  who  was  commif- 
fioned  to  procure  a  tutor  for  the  children  of  a  gentleman 
at  Barbadots,  meeting  with  Collins,  olFered  him  the 
place.  He  accepted  it,  and  took  his  leave  of  me,  prom- 
ifing  to  difcharge  the  debt  he  owed  me  with  the  firft 
money  he  Chould  receive ;  but  I  have  heard  nothing  of 
him  fince. 

The  violation  of  the  truft  repofed  in  me  by  Vernon 
was  one  of  die  firft  great  errors  of  my  life  ;  and  it  proves 
?hat  my  father  was  not  miftaken  when  he  fuppofed  me 
too  young  to  be  intruded  with  the  management  of  im 
portant  affairs.  But  Sir  William,  upon  reading  his  let 
ter,  thought  him  too  prudent.  There  was  a  difference, 
he  faid,  between  individuals  :  years  of  maturity  were 
not  always  accompanied  with  difcretion,  neither  was 
youth  in  every  inftance  devoid  of  it.  Since  your  father, 
added  he,  will  not  fet  you  up  in  bufinefs,  I  will  do  it 
rnyfalf  Make  out  a  lift  of  what  will  be  wanted  from 
England,  and  I  will  fend  for  the  articles.  You  mail 
repay  me  when  you  ran,  I  am  determined  to  have  a 

good 


good  printer  here,  and  I  am  fure  you  will  fucceed.  Thfo 
was  faid  with  fo  much  feerning  cordiality,  that  I  fuf- 
pcfted  not  for  an  inftant  the  fincerity  of"  the  offer.  I 
had  hitherto  kept  the  project,  with  which  Sir  William 
had  infpired  me,  of  fettling  in  bufmefs,  a  fecrct  at  Phi 
ladelphia,  and  I  ftil!  continued  to  do  fo.  Mad  my  reli 
ance  on  the  governor  been  known,  fome  friends,  better 
acquainted  with  his  chura&cr  than  myfelf,  would  doubt- 
lefs  have  advifed  me  not  to  truft  him  ;  far  1  afterwards 
learned  that  he  was  univerfully  known  to  ba  liberal  of 
promifes,  which  he  had  no  intention  to  perform.  But 
having  never  folicited  him,  how  could  I  fuppofe  his  of 
fers  to  be  deceitful  ?  On  the  contrary,  1  believed  him.  to 
be  the  beft  man  in  the  world. 

I  gave  him  an  inventory  of  a  fmall  printing-office ;. 
the  expence  of  which  I  had  calculated  at  about  a  hun 
dred  pounds  fterling.  lie  exprefied  his  approbation  ; 
but  afked  if  my  prefenc^  in  England,  that  I  might  choofe 
the  characters  myfelf  and  fee  that  every  article  was  good 
in  its  kind,  would  not  be  an  advantage.  You  will  alfo 
be  able,  faid  he,  to  form  fome  acquaintance  there,  and 
efrablilh  a  correfpondence  with  ftationers  and  bookfel- 
krs,  This  I  acknowledged  was  defirable.  That  being 
the  cafe,  added  he,  hold  yourfelf  in  readincfs  to  go  with 
the  Annis..  This  was  the  annual  veiTel,  and  the  only 
one,  at  that  time,  which  made  regular  voyages  between 
the  ports  of  London  and  Philadelphia,  But  the  Annis 
was  not  to  fail  for  fome  months.  I  therefore  continued 
to  work  with  Keimer,  unhappy  refpecling  the  fum« 
which  Collins  had  drawn  from  me,  and  almoft  in  con 
tinual  agony  at  the  thoughts  of  Vernon,  who  fortunately 
made  no  demand  of  his  money  till  feveral  years  after. 

In  tlie  account  of  my  firit  voyage  from  Boflon  to  Phi 
ladelphia,  I  omitted  1  believe  a  trifling  circumftance, 
-which  will'  not  perhaps  be  out  of  place  here.  During  a 
calm,  which  ftopped  us  above  Block  Ifland,  the  crew 
employed  themfelves  in  fifhing  for  cod,  of  which  they 
eaught  a  great  number.  1  had  hitherto  adhered  to  my 
refylution  of  not  eating  any.  thing  tl.athad  pofleflVd  !"&•;. 
I  considered  on  (his  occafion,  agreeably  to  the  max- 
D  3  iras 


[          42          j 

ims  of  my  mafter  Tryon,  the  capture  of  every  nth  as  j. 
fort  of  murder,  committed  without  provocation,  fnice 
thefe  animals  had  neither  done,  nor  were  capable  of  do 
ing,  the  fmalleii  injury  to  any  one,  that  fnould  juftify 
the  meafure.  This  mou'e  of  reafoning  I  conceived  to  be 
unanfwerable.  Meanwhile  I  had  formerly  been  ex- 
tremely  fond  of  fi(h;  and  when  one  of  thefe  cod  was 
taken  out  of  the  frying-pan,  I  thought  its  flavour  deli 
cious.  I  hefitated  fome  time  between  principle  and  in 
clination,  till  at  laft  recoliecling,  that  when  the  cod  had 
been  opened,  fome  fmall  fifh  had  been  fotsnd  in  his  belly, 
I  faid  to  myfeif,  If  you  eat  one  another,  I  fee  no  reafon 
why  we  may  not  eat  you.  I  accordingly  dined  on  the 
cod  with  no  fmall  degree  of  plcafure,  and  have  fines 
continued  to  eat  like  the  reft  of  mankind,  returning  only 
occasionally  to  my  vegetable  plan.  How  convenient 
does  it  prove  to  be  a  rational  animal,  that  knows  how 
to  find  or  invent  a  plaufible  pretext  for  whatever  it  has  ant 
inclination  to  do ! 

I  continued  to  live  upon  good  terms  with  Keimer, 
who  had  not  the  fmalleft  fufpicion  of  my  projeded  ef- 
tablifhment.  He  ftill  retained  a  portion  of  his  former 
cnthufiafn-i ;  and  being  fond  of  argument,  we  frequently 
difputed  together.  I  was  fo  much  m  the  habit  of  ufing 
my  Sccratic  method,  and  had  fo  frequently  puzzled  hinv 
by  my  queflions,  which  appeared  at  firft  very  diftant 
from  the  point  in  debate,  yet  neverthelefs  led  to  it  by 
degrees,  involving  him  in  difficulties  and  contradictions 
from  which  he  was  unable  to  extricate  himfelf,  that  he 
became  at  laft  ridiculously  cautious,  and  would  fcarcely 
anfwer  the  moft  plain  and  familiar  queftiori,  without  pre- 
vioufly  afldng  me — What  would  you  infer  from  that  ? 
Hence,  he  formed  fo  high  an  opinion  of  my  talents  for 
refutation,  that  he  ferioufly  propofed  to  me  to  become 
his  colleague  in  the  eftabliihment  of  a  new  religious  feel. 
He  was  to  propagate  the  dodrine  by  preaching,  and  I 
to  refute  every  opponent. 

When  he  explained  to  me  his  tenets,  I  found  many 
abfurdities  which  I  refufed  to  adroit,  unlefs  he  would 
agree  in  turn  to  adopt  fome  of  my  opinions,  Keime* 

wers 


t       43       J 

wore  his  beard  long,  becaufe  Mofes  had  fomewhere  faicf, 
Tboujkait  not  mar  the  corners  ofthj  beard.  He  likewife 
obferved  the  Sabbath  ;  and  thefe  were  with  him  two 
very  eflential  points.  I  difliked  them  both  ;  but  I  eon- 
fented  to  adopt  them,  provided  he  would  abftain  from 
animal  food.  I  doubt,  faid  he,  whether  my  conftitution 
will  be  able  to  fupport  it.  I  affured  him,  on  the  con 
trary,  that  he  would  find  hirafelf  the  better  for  it.  He 
was  naturally  a  glutton,  and  I  wifhed  to  amufe?  imyfelf 
by  ftarving  him.  He  confented  to  make  trial  of  this 
regimen,  if  I  would  bear  him  company  ;  and  in  reality 
we  continued  it  for  three  months.  A  woman  in  the 
neighbourhood  prepared  aad  brought  us  our  victuals,  to 
whom  I  gave  a  lift  of  forty  difhes  ;  in  the  compofitioa 
of  which  there  entered  neither  fleCh  nor  fifh.  This  fancy 
was  the  more  agreeable  to  me,  as  it  turned  to  good  ac 
count  ;  for  the  whole  expence  of  our  living  did  not  ex 
ceed  for  each  eigh  teen-pence  a  week. 

1  have  fince  that  period  obferved  feveral  Lents  with 
the  greateft  (triclnefs,  and  have  fuddenly  returned  again 
to  my  ordinary-  diet,  without  experiencing  the  fmalleft 
inconvenience  ;  which  has  led  me  to  regard  as  of  no  im 
portance  the  advice  commonly  given,  of  introducing 
gradually  fuch  alterations  of  regimen. 

I  continued  it  cheerfully  ;  but  poor  Keimer  fuffered 
terribly.  Tired  of  the  projecl,  he  fighed  for  the  flefh 
pots  of  Egypt.  At  length  he  ordered  a  roaft  pig,  and 
invited  me  and  two  of  our  female  acquaintance  to  dine 
with  him  ;  but  the  pig  being  ready  a  little  too  foon,  he 
could  not  refift  the  temptation,  and  cat  it  all  op  before 
we  arrived. 

During  the  circumftances  I  have  related,  I  had  paid 
fome  attentions  to  Mifs  Read.  I  entertained  for  her  the 
utmoft  efieem  and  affection  ;  and  I  had  reafon  to  believe 
that  thefe  fentiments  were  mutual.  But  we  were  both 
young,  fcarcely  more  than  eighteen  years  of  age ;  and 
as  I  was  on  the  point  of  undertaking  a  long  voyage,  her 
mother  thought  it  prudent  to  prevent  matters  being  car 
ried  too  far  for  the  prefent,  judging  that  if  marriage  was 
e«r  objeft,  there  would  be  more  propriety  in  it  after  my 

return, 


t 


44 


return,  when,  as  at  lead  I  expeaed,  I  fhould  be  eitab- 
lifted  in  my  bufmefs.  Perhaps  alfo  (he  thought  that  my 
expectations  were  not  fo  well-founded  as  I  imagined. 

My  inoft  intimate  acquaintance  at  this  time  were 
Charles  Ofbornc,  Jofeph  Watfon  and  James  Ralph  ; 
youag  men  who  were  all  fond  of  reading.  The  two 
firft  were  clerkship  ^Mr.  Charles  Brockdon,  one  of  the 
principal  attornieS  in  the  town,  and  the  other,  clerk  to  a 
rnerch^it.  Watfon  was  an  upright,  pious  and  fenfiblc 
yovng  man  :  the  others  were  fomewhat  more  loofe  in 
their  principles  of  religion,  particularly  Ralph,  vvhofe 
faith,  a*  well  as  that  of  Collins,  I  had  contributed  to 
(hake;  each  of  whom  made  me  fuiFer  a  very  adequate  pun- 
ifhmenj.  Ofborne  was  fenfible,  fmcere  and  affectionate 
in  his  triendihips,  but  too  much  inclined  to  the  critic  in 
matters  of  literature.  Ralph  was  ingenious  and  (hrcwd, 
genteel  in  his  addrefs,  and  extremely  eloquent.  I  do 
not  remember  to  have  raet  with  a  more  agreeable  fpeaker* 
They  were  both  enamoured  of  the  mufes,  and  had  al 
ready  evinced  their  paffion  by  feme  fraall  poetical  pro- 
do^ions. 

It  was  a  cuftom-  with  us  to  take  a  charraing  walk  on 
Sundays,  in  trie  woods  that  bordered  on  the  bchuylkill.. 
Here  we  read  together,  and  afterwards  converfed  oa 
what  we  read.  Ralph  was  difpofed  to  give  himfelf  up 
entirely  to  poetry.  He  flattered  himfelf  that  he  model 
arrive  at  great  eminence  in  the  art,  and  even  acquire  a 
fortune.  The  fublimeft  poets,  he  pretended,  when  they 
firft  began  to  write,  committed  as  many  faults  as  him 
felf.  Ofborne  endeavoured  to-dilluade  him  from  it,  by, 
afluring  him  that  he  had  no  genius  for  poetry,  and  advif- 
ed  him  to  flick  to  the  trade  in  which  he  had  been 
brought  up.  In  the  road  of  commerce,  faid  he,  you 
vrilf  be  fure,  by  diligence  and  affiduity,  though  you  have 
no  capital,  of  fo  far  fucceeding  as  to  be  employed  as  a 
faftor,  and  may  thus,  in  time,  acquire  the  means  of  ftt- 
ting  up  for  yourfelf.  }  concurred  in  theie  fentirnents, 
but  at  the  fame  time  exprefled  my  approbation  of  amuf- 
ing  ourfelves  fometimes  with  poetry,  with  a  view  to  im- 
ptove  our  ftyie,  In  confeqaence  of  this  it  was  propofed,, 

'that,. 


i    45    : 

thar,  '  "  nei:'  meeting  each  of  us  mould  bring  a  copy 
cfx-.-  ;  -  T  his  own  ccinpofuion.  Our  objeft  in  this 
co  in  j  fiii.Mi  was  to  benefit  each  other  by  our  mutual  re- 
mark?,  criticifms  and  corrections;  and  as  ftyle  and  ex- 
predi.'n  were  all  we  had  in  view,  we  excluded  every  idea 
of  invention,  by  agreeing-  that  our  tafk  mould  be  a  ver- 
fion  of  th-.:  eighteenth  Ffalm,  in  which  is  defcribed  the 
defcent  of  the  Deity. 

The  ii.ne  of  our  meeting  drew  near,  when  Ralph  cal 
led  upoa  me,  and  told  me  his  piece  was  ready.  I  in 
formed  him  that  I  had  been  idle,  and,  not  much  liking 
the  'alk,  had  done  nothing.  He  mewed  me  his  piece, 
and  afked  what  I  thought  of  it.  I  exprdfed  myfelf  in 
terms  of  warm  approbation  ;  becaufe  it  really  appeared 
to  have  ccnfiderable  merit.  He  then  faid  :  Oibornc 
will  never  acknowledge  the  fmalleft  degree  of  excellence 
in  any  production  of  mine.  Envy  alone  dictates  to  him 
a  thoufand  animadverfions.  Of  you  he  is  not  fo  jealous: 
,1  wifb  therefore  you  would  take  the  verfes,  and  produce 
them  as  your  own.  I  will  pretend  not  to  have  had  lei- 
jfure  to  write  any  thing.  We  (hall  then  fee  in  what  man 
ner  he  will  fpeak  of  them.  I  agreed  to  this  little  arti 
fice,  and  immediately  tranfcribed  the  verfes,  to  prevent 
all  fufpicion. 

We  met.  Watfon's  performance  was  the  firft  that  was 
read.  It  had  feme  beauties,  but  many  faults.  We  next 
read  Cfborne's,  which  was  much  better.  Ralph  did  it 
juftice,  remarking  a  few  imperfections,  and  applauding 
fuch  parts  as  wsre  excellent.  He  had  himfelf  nothing  to 
ftiow.  It  was  now  my  turn.  I  made  forne  difficulty  ; 
feemed  as  if  1  wimcd  to  be  excufed  ;  pretended  that  I 
had  had  no  time  to  make  corrections,  &c.  No  excufe, 
however,  was  admirable,  and  the  piece  nauft  be  produced. 
Jt  was  read  and  re-read.  Watfon  and  Qmorne  imme 
diately  refigned  the  palm,  and  united  in  applauding  it. 
Ralph  alone  made  a  few  remarks,  and  propofed  fome 
alterations  i  but  I  defended  my  text.  Ofborne  agreed 
with  me,  and  told  Ralph  he  was  no  more  able  to  criti- 
'.rz  than  he  was  able  to  write. 

When  Qftiorne  was  alone  with  me,  he  exprefied  him- 

fel£ 


r   46   ] 

fclf  flill  more  ftrongly  in  favour  of  what  he  ccnfidered 
as  my  performance.  He  pretended  that  he  had  put  fome 
reftraint  on  himfelf  before,  apprehenfive  of  my  conftruing 
his  commendation  into  flattery.  But  who  would  have 
fuppofed  faid  he,  Franklin  to  be  capable  of  fuch  a  corn- 
pofuion  ?  What  painting,  what  energy,  what  fire  !  He 
lias  furpaffed  the  original.  In  his  common  conversation 
he  appears  not  to  have  choice  of  words ;  he  hefitates,  and 
is  at  a  lofs ;  and  yet,  good  Ged,  how  he  writes  1 

At  our  next  meeting  Ralph  difcovered  the  trick  we 
had  played  Ofborne,  who  was  rallied  without  mercy. 

By  this  adventure  Ralph  was  fixed  in  his  refolution  of 
becoming  a  poet.  I  left  nothing  unattempted  to  divert 
him  from  his  purpofe  ;  but  he  perfevered,  till  at  laft  the 
reading  of  Pope*  eifecled  his  cure  :  he  became,  howe 
ver.,  a  very  tolerable  profe  writer.  1  fhall  fyeak  more  of 
him  hereafter  ;  but  as  I  fhall  probably  have  no  farther 
.occasion  to  mention  the  other  two,  I  ought  to  obferve 
here,  that  Watfon  died  a  few  years  after  in  my  arms. 
He  was  greatl)  regretted  ;  for  he  was  the  beft  of  our  fo- 
ciety.  Giborne  went  to  the  illaads,  where  he  gained 
conliderable  reputation  as  a  barriiler,  and  was  getting 
money;  but  he  died  young.  We  had  ferioufiy  engaged, 
that  whoever  died  firtt  mould  return,  if  poiTible,  and  pay 
a  friendly  vifit  to  the  furvivor,  to  give  him  an  account 
of  the  other  world  ;  but  he  has  never  fulfilled  his  en 
gagement. 

The  governor  appeared  to  be  fond  of  my  company, 
and  frequently  invited  me  to  his  houfc.  He  always 
fpoke  of  his  intention  of  fettling  me  in  bufmefs,  as  a 
point  that  was  decided.  J  was  to  take  with  me  letters 
of  recommendation  to  a  number  of  friends ;  and  particu 
larly  a  letter  of  credit,  in  order  to  obtain  the  neceilary 
ium  for  the  purchaie  of  my  prefs,  types  and  paper.  He 
appointed  various  times  for  me  to  come  for  thefe  letters, 
which  would  certainly  be  ready  ;  and  when  I  came,  al 
ways  put  me  off  to  another  day.  Thefe 

*  Probably  the  Dunciade,  where  we  find  him  thus 
lifed  by  the  author  : 

Silence  ye  wolves,  while  RALPH  to  Cyntha  howls  ! 
And  makes  night  hideous ;  aafwer  him,  ye  owls! 


-    I      47      1 

Thefe  fuccefH'/e  delays  continued  till  theveiTel,  whofe 
departure  had  been  feveral  times  deferred,  was  on  the 
point  of  fetting  fail ;  when  I  again  wenrto  Sir  William's 
houfe,  to  receive  rny  letters  and  take  leave  of  him.  I 
faw  his  fecretary,  Dr.  Bard,  who  told  me  that  the  gov 
ernor  was  extremely  bufy  writing,  but  that  he  wouki  be 
down  at  Newcaftle  before  the  veffel,  and  that  the  letters 
would  be  delivered  to  me  there. 

Ralph,  though  he  was  married  and  had  a  child,  de 
termined  to  accompany  me  in  this  voyage.  His  objeft 
was  fuppofed  to  be  the  eftablifhing  a  correfpondence 
with  fome  mercantile  houfes,  in  order  to  fell  goods  by 
cornmim'on  ;  but  I  afterwards  learned,  that,  having  rea- 
fon  to  be  diiTatisfied  with  the  parents  of  his  wife,  he 
propofed  to  himfelf  to  leave  her  on  their  hands,  and 
never  return  to  America  again. 

Having  taken  leave  of  my  friends,  and  interchanged 
promifes  of  fidelity  with  Mifs  Read,  I  quitted  Philadel 
phia.  At  Newcaftle  the  veflei  came  to  anchor.  The 
governor  was  arrived,  and  I  went  to  his  lodgings.  His 
fecretary  received  me  with  great  civility,  told  me  on  the 
part  of  the  governor  that  he  could  not  fee  me  thea,  as  he 
xvas  engaged  in  affairs  of  the  utmoft  importance,  but  that 
he  would  fend  the  letters  on  beard,  and  that  he  wifhed 
me,  with  all  his  heart,  a  good  voyage  and  fpeedy  return. 
I  returned  fomewhat  aftonimed,  but  ftill  without  enter 
taining  the  ilightetf  fufpicion. 

Mr.  Hamilton,  a  celebrated  barrifter  of  Philadelphia, 
had  taken  a  paffage  to  England  for  himfelf  and  his  fon, 
and,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Denham  a  quaker,  and 
Meffrs.  Onum  a#d  Ruffel,  proprietors  of  a  forge  in  Ma 
ryland,  had  agreed  for  the  whole  cabin,  fo  that  Ralph 
and  I  were  obliged  to  take  up  our  lodging  with  the 
crew.  Being  unknown  to  eve*y  body  in  the  fhip,  we 
were  looked  upon  as  the  common  order  of  people  :  but 
Mr.  Hamilton  and  his  fon  (it  was  James,  who  was  af 
terwards  governor)  left  us  at  Newcattle,  and  returned 
to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  recalled,  at  a  very  great 
expence,  to  plead  the  caufe  of  a  veflei  that  had  been 
fcized  ;  and  jaft  as  we  were  about  to  fail,  colonel  Finch 

cams 


L      42      ] 

came  on  board,  and  (hewed  m*j  many  civilities.  Th*. 
pailengers  wpon  this  paid  me  more  attention,  and  I  was 
invited,  together  with  my  friend  Ralph,  to  occupy  the 
place  in  the  cabin,  which  the  return  of  the  Mr.  Hamil- 
tons  had  made  vacant ;  an  offer  which  we  very  readily- 
accepted. 

Having  learned  that  the  difpatches  of  the  governor 
had  been  brought  on  board  by  Col.  Finch,  I  a.iked  the 
captain  for  the  letters  that  were  to  be  intruded  to  my 
care.  He  told  me  that  they  were  all  put  together  in 
the  bag,  which  he  could  not  open  at  prefent ;  bur  before 
we  reached  England,  he  would  give  me  an  opportunity 
of  taking  them  out.  I  was  fatisiied  with  this  anfwer, 
and  we  purfued  our  voyage. 

The  company  in  the  cabin  were  all  very  fociable,  and 
we  were  pefe&Iy  well  off  as  to  provilions,  as  we  took  the 
advantage  of  the  whole  of  Mr.  Hamilton's  who  had  laid 
in  a  very  plentiful  ftock.  During  the  pafiage  Mr.  Den- 
ham  contracted  a  friendlhip  for  rne,  which  ended  only 
with  his  life  :  in  other  refpefts  the  voyage  was  by  no- 
means  an  agreeable  one,  as  we  had  much  bad  weather. 

When  we  arrived  in  the  river,  the  captain  was  as  good 
as  his  word,  and  allowed  me  to  fearcb  the  bag  for  the 
governor's  letters.  I  could  not  find  a  (ingle  one 
with  my  name  written  on  it,  as  committed  to  my  .care  ; 
but  I  feleded  fix  or  feven,  which  I  judged  from  the  di 
rection  to  be  thofe  that  were  intended  for  me  ;  particu 
larly  one  to  Mr.  Balket  the  king's  printer,  and  an 
other  to  a  ftationcr,  who  was  the  firft  peribn  I  called 
upon.  I  delivered  htm  the  letter  as  coming  from  gov 
ernor  Keith.  "  I  have  no  acquaintance  (faid  he)  with 
"  any  fuch  perfon  ;"  and  opening  the  letter,  *'  Oh,  it  is 
"  from  Riddlefdom  •"  he  exclaimed.  I  have  lately  dif- 
*'  covered  hire  to  be  a  very  arrant  knave,  and  I  wifh  to 
'*  have  nothing  to  do  either  with  htm  or  his  letters." 
Heinfbntly  put  the  letter  in  my  hand,  turned  upon  his 
heel,  and  left  me  to  ferve  ibme  cuftomers. 

I  was  aftonifh?d  at  finding  thefe  Setters  were  not  from 
the  gov-  r.^r  Reflecling,  and  patting  circumftances  to 
gether,  I  then  began  to  doubt  his  iinccrity.  I  re;«ined 

my 


[       49       j 

01  y  friend  Denham,  and  related  the  whole  affair  to  him, 
He  let  me  at  once  into  Keith's  chamber,  toJd  me  there 
was  iftt  the  leait  probability  of  his  having  written  a  fm~ 
j*Ie  letter  ;  tliat  no  one  who 'knew  him  ever  placed  any  re- 
liance  on  him,  and  laughed  at  my  credulity  in  feppofing 
that  the  governor  would  give  rne  a  letter  of  credit,  when 
he  had  no  credit  for  himfeif.  As  I  fhewed  fome  unea- 
fmefs  retpecling  what  ftep  1  (hould  take,  he  advifed  me 
to  try  to  get  employment  in  the  houfe  of  fome  printer, 
You  may  there,  faid  he,  improve  yourfelf  in  bufmef^ 
and  you  will  be  able  to  fettle  yourfeif  the  more  advanta- 
geoufly  when  you  return  to  America. 

We  knew  already,  as  well  as  the  ftationer,  attorney 
Riddicfden  to  be  a  knave.  He  had  nearly  ruined  the 
father  of  Mifs  Read,  by  drawing  him  in  to  be  his  fecu- 
rity.  We  learned  from  his  letter,  that  he  was  fecretly 
tarrying  on  an  intrigue,  in  concert  with  the  governor, 
to  the  prejudice  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  who  it  was  fuppofed 
would  by  this  time  be  in  Europe.  Denham,  who  was 
Hamilton's  friend,  was  of  opinion  that  he  ought  to  be 
inacie  acquainted  with  it  :  and  in  reality /*the  inftant  he 
arrived  in  England,  which  was  very  Coon  after,  1  waited 
on  him,  and,  as  much  from  good-will  to  him  as  from 
refentmerit  againft  the  governor,  put  the  letter  int&  his 
hands.  He  thanked  rne  very  fincerely,  the  information 
it  contained  being  of  eonfequence  to  him  ;  and  from  that 
moment  beftowed  on  me  his  friendmip,  which  after 
wards  proved  on  many  occafions  ferviceable  to  me. 

But  what  are  we  to  think  'of  a  governor  who  could 
play  fo  fcurvy  a  trick,  and  thus  grofsly  deceive  a  poor 
young  lad,  wholly  deftimte  of  experience  ?  It  was  a 
practice  with  him.  Wifhing  to  pleafe  every  body,  and 
having  little  to  beftow,  he  was  lavifh  of  promifcs.  He 
was  in  orher  refpec^s  fbnfible  and  judicious,  a  very  tol 
erable  writer,  and  a  good  governor  for  the  people  ; 
though  not  fo  for  the  proprietaries,  whofe.  inftruciions  he 
frequently  disregarded.  Many  of  our  bed  laws  were  his 
work,  and  ellabiifhed  during  his  ad.-niniflration. 

Ralph  and  j   were  infeparable  companions.     We  took 

a    lodging    together    at    three    and    fixpence  a  week, 

E  which 


I      5°      3 

which  wss  as  much  as  we  could  afford.  He  met  v>  * 
fame  relations  in  London,  but  they  were  poor,  and  not 
able  to  afiilt  him.  He  now,  for  the  firft  time,  informed 
me  of  his  intention  to  renunfi  in  England^  and  that  be 
had  no  thoughts  of  ever  returning  to  Philadelphia.  He 
was  totally  without  money ;  the  little  he  had  been  able 
to  raife  having  barely  fufticed  for  his  paffage.  I  had 
ilill  fifteen  piiiolcs  remaining;  and  to  me  he  had  from 
time  to  time  recourfe,  while  he  tried  to  get  employment. 

At  firft,  believing  himfelf  pofieiTod  of  talents  for  the 
ftage,  he  thought  of  turning  aftor  ;  but  Wilkes,  to 
whom  he  applied,  frankly  advifed  him  to  renounce  the 
idea,  as  it  was  impomblc  to  fucceed.  He  next  propofed 
to  Roberts,  a  hookfeller  in  Paternofter-Row,  to  wriie  a 
weekly  paper  in  the  manner  of  the  Spectator,  upoa 
terms  to  which  Roberts  would  not  liiten.  Lailly,  he  en 
deavoured  to  procure  employment  as  a  copy-ill,  and  ap 
plied  to  the  lawyers  and  ftationers  about  the  Temple  ; 
but  he  could  find  no  vacancy. 

As  to  rayfelf,  I  immediately  got  engaged  at  Palmer's, 
al  that  time  a  noted  printer  in  Bartholomew  Clofe,  with 
I  continued  nearly  a  year*  I  applied  ve_ry  afiidu- 
to  my  work;  but  I  expended  with  Kajlph  almoft 
that  I  earned.  Flays  and  other  places  of  amufement 
which  we  frequented  together,  having  exhausted  my  pif- 
toles,  we  lived  after  this  from  hand  to  .mouth.  He  ap 
peared  to  have  entirely  forgotten  his  wife  and  child,  as  I 
alfo,  by  degrees,  forgot  my  engagements  with  Mifs  Read, 
to  whom  I  never  wrote  more  than  one  letter,  and  that 
merely  to  inform  her  that  1  was  not  likely  to  return 
foon.  This  was  another  grand  error  of  my  life,  which 
I  ftiould  be  defirous  of  correcting,  were  i  to  begin  my 
career  again. 

I  was  employed  at  Palmer's  on  the  fecond  edition  of 
Wooiafton's  Religion  of  Nature.  Some  of  his  argu 
ments  appearing  to  me  not  to  be  well  iounded,  1  wrote 
a  (mail  metaphyfical  treatife,  in  which  I  animadverted 
•on  thofe  paflages.  It  was  eatiiled  a  Differtatioh  on 
Liberty  and  Neceflity,  Pleasure  and  Pain.  1  dedicated 
51  to  my  friend  Ralph,  and  printed  a  fmall  number  of 


r   51    1 

Palmer  upon  this  treated  me  with  more  cor»- 
(ukranon,  and  regarded  me  as  a  young  man  of  ta'ents  5 
though  lie  ferioufly  took  me  to  tafk  for  the  principles 
of  ciy  pamphlet,  which  he  looked  upon  as  abominable. 
The  printing  of  this  work  was  another  error  gf  my  life. 

While  1  lodged  in  Little  Britain  I  formed  acquaint 
ance  with  ?  bookfeller  of  the  name  of  Wiicox,  whofe 
Chop  was  next  door  to  me.  Circulating  libraries 
were  sot  then  in  ufe.  He  had  an  immenfe  collection  of 
books  of  ail  forts.  We  agreed  that,  for  a  reafonable  re 
tribution,  of  which  I  have  now  forgotten  the  price,  I 
fh^uid  have  free  accefs  to  his  library,  and  take  what 
books  I  pleafed,  which  I  was  to  return  when  I  had  read 
them.  I  confidered  this  agreement  as  a  very  great  ad 
vantage  ;  and  I  derived  from  it  as  much  benefit  as  was 
in.  my  power. 

My  pamphlet  falling  into  the  hands  of  a  furgeon,  of 
the  name  of  Lyons,  author  of  a  book  entitled  Infallibili 
ty  of  Human  Judgment,  was  the  occaiion  of  a  coniklera- 
bie  intimacy  between  us.  He  exprefifed  great  efteena  for 
me,  came  frequently  to  fee  me,  in  order  to  converfe  upon 
metaphyfical  fubjecls,  and  introduced  me  to  Dr.Mande- 
ville,  author  of  the  Fable  of  the  Bees,  who  had  indicated  a 
club  at  a  tavern  ia  Cheapfide,  of  which  he  was  the  foul  : 
he  was  a  facetious  and  very  amuftng  character.  He  al- 
fo  introduced  me,  at  Barton's  coffce-houfe,  to  Dr.  Pera- 
berton,  who  promifed  to  give  me  an  opportunity  of  fee 
ing  Sir  Ifaac  Newton,  which  I  very  ardently  defired  ; 
but  he  never  kept  his  word. 

I  had  brought  fome  curiofuies  with  me  from  Ameri 
ca  ;  the  principal  of  which  was  a  purfe  made  of  Afoeftos, 
which  fire  only  purifies.  Sir  Hans  Sloane  hearing  of  it, 
called  upon  me,  and  invited  me  to  his  houfe  in  Bloomf- 
bury  fquare,  where,  after  mowing  me  every  thing  that 
was  curious,  he  prevailed  on  me  to  add  this  piece  to  his 
collection  ;  for  which  he  paid  me  very  handfomely. 

There  lodged  in  the  fame  houfe  with  us  a  young  wo 
man,  a  milliner,  who  had  a  (hop  by  the  iicte  of  the  Ex- 
clange.  Lively  and  fenfible,  and  having  received  ^an 
foraewhat  above|her  rank,  her  eonYerfatioiv 
E  z  W5ts 


.[      5*      3 

was  very  agreeable.  Ralph  read  plays  to  her  every  even 
ing.  They  became  intimate.  She  took  another  lodg 
ing,  and  he  followed  her.  They  lived  for  Tome  time 
together;  but  Ralph  being  without  employment,  IBs 
having  a  child,  and  the  profits  of  her  bufinefs  not  furnc- 
ing  for  the  maintenance  of  three,  he  refolded  to  quit 
London,  and  try  a  country  fchool.  This  was  a  plan  in 
which  he  thought  himfelf  likely  to  fucceed,  as  he  wrote 
a  fine  hand,  and  was  verfed  in  arithmetic  and  accounts. 
But  considering  the  office  as  beneath  him,  and  expeding 
fome  day  to  make  a  better  figure  in  the  world,  when  he 
jfhould  be  aihamed  of  its  being  known  that  he  had  exer. 
cjfed  a  profdfion  fo  little  honourable,  he  changed  his 
name,  and  did  me  the  honour  of  affuming  mine.  He 
wrote  to  me  foon  after  his  departure,  informing  me  that 
he  was  fettled  at  a  frnall  village  ia  Berkshire.  In  his 
letter  he  recommended  Mrs.  T***.  the  milliner,  to  my 
care,  and  requefled  an  anfwer,  directed  to  Mr.  Franklin, 
fchoolmafleratN***^ 

lie  continued  to  write  to  me  frequently,  fending  me 
large  fragments  of  an  epic  poem  he  was  compoiing,  and 
which  he  requefted  me  to  criticife  aud  correct.  I  did  fo, 
but  not  without  endea\rouring  to 'prevail  on  him  to  re 
nounce  his  purfuit.  Yourvg  had  jull  pablifhed  one  of 
liis  Si',  ires.  I  copied  and  fent  him  a  grc^t  part  of  it  j  in 
which  the  author  demonftiates  the  folly  of  cultivating 
the  Mules,  from  the  hope,  by  their  inftruinentality,  of 
rifmg  in  the  world.  It  was  all  to  nopurpofe;  paper 
after  paper  of  his  poem  continued  to  arrive  every  pod. 

Meanwhile  Mrs.  T**"  having  loft,  on  his  account, 
both  her  friends  and  her  bufinefs,  was  frequently  in  dif* 
trefs,  In  this  dilemma  (he  had  recourfe  to  me  ;  and  to 
extricate  her  from  her  difficulties,.  I  lent  her  all  the  mo 
ney  I  could  fpare.  1  felt,  a  little  too  much  fondnefs  for 
her.  Having  at  that  time  no  ties  of  religion,  and  tak 
ing  advantage  of  her  necoffitous  fituation,  I  attempted 
liberties  (another  error  of  my  life)  which  me  repelled 
•Lvith  becoming  indignation.  She  informed  Ralph  of  my 
conduct ;  and  the.  affair  occafioned  a  breach  between  us. 
When  he  returned  to  Londdti,  he  gave  tae  to  underftand 

that 


£      53      ] 

Ks  considered  all  the  obligations  he  o\ved*  me  as  an 
nihilated  by  this  proceeding  ;  whence  I  concluded,  that 
I  was  never  to  expecl  the  payment  of  what  money  I  had 
lent  him,  or  advanced  on  his  account.  I  was  the  lefs 
afHiifted  at  this,  as  he  was  unable  to  pay  me  ;  and  as,  by 
lofmg  his  friendship,  I  was  relieved  at  the  fame  time  from 
a  very  heavy  burthen. 

I  now  began  to  think. of  laying  by  fome  money.  The' 
printing- houfe  of  Watts,  near  Lincoln's  Inn- Fields,  be 
ing  a  ftill  nrore  confiderable  one  than  that  in  which  I 
worked,  ic  was  probable  I  might  find  it  raore  advantage 
ous  to  be  employed  there.  I  offered  myfelf,  and  was 
accepted  ;  and  in  this  houfe  I  continued  during  the  re 
mainder  of  my  flay  in  London. 

On  my  entrance.!  worked  ai  firft  as  a  prefTman,  con 
ceiving  that  I  had  need  of  bodily  exercife,  to  which  I  had' 
been  accuilomed  in  America,  where  the  printers  work  al* 
ternately  as  compofitors  and  at  the  prefs.  I.  drank  no* 
thing  but  water.  The  other  workmen,  to  the  number 
of  about  fifty,  were  great  drinkers  of  beer.  I  carried 
occafiorkilly  a  large  form  of  letters  in  each  hand,  up  and- 
down  flairs,  while  the  reft  employed  both  hands  to  carry; 
one.  They  were  furprifed  to  fee,  by  this  and  many 
other  examples,  that  the  American  Aqnatict-^  they  ufed 
to  call  me,  was  ftronger  than  thofe  who  drank  porter, 
The  beer- boy  had  fuiEcient  employment  daring,  thje- 
whole  day  in  ferving  that  houle  alone.  My  fellow- 
preiTman  drank  every  day  a  pint  of  beer  before  breakfafr, 
a  pint  with  bread  and  ckeefe  for  breakfaft,  one  between, 
breakfaft  and  dinner,  one  at  dinner,,  one  again  about  (IK- 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  another  after  he  had  finiih- 
cd  his  day's  work.  This  cuftom  appeared  to  meabomi* 
liable  ;  but  he  had  need,,  he  faid,  of>all  this  beer,,  in  or 
der  to  acquire  ftrength  to  work. 

J  endeavoured  to  convince  him  that -bodily  flrength, 
furnifhed  by  beer,  conld  only  be  in  proportion  to  the 
folid  part  of  the  barley  dilSTolved  in  the  water  of  which 
fie  beer,  was  competed  ;  that  there  was  a  larger  portion 
of  Sour  in  a  penny  loaf,  and  that  confequently,  if  he  eat 
aad  drank  a  pint  of  water  with  it,  he  would 
£.  3  derive 


E        54       ] 

derive  more  ftrength  from  it  than  from  a  pmt  of  beer* 
This  reafoning,  however,  did  not  prevent  him  from 
drinking  his  accuftomed  quantity  of  beer,  arid  paying 
every  Saturday  night  a  fcore  of  four  or  five  flsillingi  a 
week  for  tins  carfed  beverage  ;  an  expence  from  which 
I  was  wholly  exempt.  Thus  do  thefc  poor  devils  con 
tinue  all  their  lives  in  a  (late  of  voluntary  wretchedne& 
and  poverty. 

At  the  end  of  a  few  we?ks,  Watts  having  occafion  for 
me  above  (lairs  as  a  com  poll  cor,  1  quitted  the  prefs.  The 
compofttors  demanded  of  me  garnifh-money  afrefh, 
This  I  confidercd  as  an  impofition,  having  already  paid 
below.  The  matter  was  of  the  fame  opinion,  and  de- 
iired  me  not  to  comply.  I  tkiis  remained  two  or  three 
weeks  out  of  the  fraternity.  I  was  consequently  looked 
upon  as  excommunicated  ;  and  whenever  I  was  abfent, 
no  little  trick  that  malice  could  fuggeft  was  left  unprac- 
tifed  upon  me.  I  found  my  Letters  mixed,  my  pages 
tranfpofed,  my  matter  broken,  £c.  £c.  all  which  was 
attributed  to  the  fpirit  that  haunted  the  chapel,*  and 
tormented  thofe  who  were  not  regularly  admitted.  Z 
was  at  lad  obliged  to  fubmit  to  pay,  notwithftanding  the 
protection  of  the  matter;  convinced  of  the  folly  of  not 
keeping  up  a-good  undemanding  with  thofe  among  whom 
^ve  are  deftined  to  live. 

After  this  I  lived  in  the  tHmoft  harmony  with  my 
fellow- labourers,  and  foon  acquired  confiderable  influ-* 
snce  among  them.  I  propofed  fome  alterations  in  the 
laws  of  the  chapel,  which  I  carried  without  oppofition. 
My  example  prevailed  with  feveral  of  them  to  renounce 
their  abominable  practice  of  bread  and  cheefe  with  beer  ; 
and  they  procured,  like  me,  from  a  neighbouring  houfe, 
a  good  bafon  ©f  w.ann  gruel,,  in  which  was  a  fmall  flice 
of  butter,  with  toafted  bread  and  nutmeg.  This  was  a 
much  better  br,e<ikfaft,  which  did  not  cod  more  than  a 
fintofbeer,  namely,  three  halfpence,  and  at. the  fame 
time  preferved  the  head  clearer.  Thofe  who  continued 
to  gorge  themfelves  with  beer,  often  loft  their  credit 

Printing-houfes  in  general  are  thus   denominated   by 
j  the  fpirit  they  cali.by^the  name  of  Ralph* 


[      55      1 

with  the  publican,  from  neglecting  to  pay  their  feore* 
They  had  then  recourfe  to  me,  to  become  fecurity  tor 
them;  their  light,  as  they  ufed  to  call  it,  being  out.  I 
attended  at  the  pay- table  every  Saturday  evening,  to  take 
up  the  little  furn  which  I  had  raade  myfelf  anfwerable 
for  j  and  which  fometimes  amounted  to  near  thirty  fail- 
lings  a  week. 

This  circumftance,  added  to  my  reputation  of  .being  a 
toletable  good  £ c£<W,  or,  in  other  words,  &iliul  in  the; 
art  of  burlefque,  kept  up  my  importance  in  the  chapel. 
i  had  befides  recommended  myfelf  to  the  efteem  of  my 
matter  by  my  affiduous  application  to  bufmefc,  never  ob~ 
ferving  Saint  Monday.  My  extraordinary  quicknefs  in 
eompofing  always  procured  me  fuch  work  as  was  moll 
urgent,  and  which  is  commonly  bcft  paid ;  and  thus  my 
time  paffed  away  in  a  very  .plea  fan  t  manner. 

My  lodging  in  Little  Britain  being  too  far  from  the 
printing-houfe,  I  took  another  in  Duke-ftreet,  oppofite 
the  Roman  Chapel.  It  was  the  back  of  an  Italian  ware- 
houfe.  The  houfe  was  kepf  by  a  widow,  who  had  a 
daughter,  a  fervant,  and  a  fliop-boy  ;  but  the  latter  flept 
out  of  the  hcufe.  After  fending  to  the  people  with 
whom  I  lodged  in  Little  Britain,  to  inquire  into  my 
character,  fne  agreed, to  take  me  at  the  fame  price,  three- 
and-fixpence  a  week  ;  contenting  herfelf,  Ihe  faid,  with 
fo  little,  bccaufe  of  the  fecurity  Ihe  would  derive,  as 
they  were  all  women,  from  having  a  man  to  lodge  in 
the  fame  houfe. 

She  was. a  woman  rather  advanced  in  life,  the  daugh^ 
ter  of  a  clergyman.  She  had  been  educated  a  Proteft- 
ant  ;  but  her  hufhand,  whofe  memory  me  highly  rever-* 
ed,  had  converted  her  to  the  Catholic  religion.  She  had 
lived  in  habits  of  intimacy  with  perfons  of  diftinftion, 
of  whom  (he  kneqr  various  anecdotes  as  far  back  as  the 
time  of  Charles  II.  Being  fubjeft  to  fits  of  the  gout, 
which  often  confined  her  to  her  room,  (he  was  .fometimes 
difpofed  to  fee  company.  Hers  was  fo  amufing  to- me, 
that  I  was  glad  to  pafs  the  evening  with  her  as  often  as 
ihe  defired  it.  Our  fupper  confided  only  of  half  an  an 
chovy  a- piece,  upon  a  flice  of  bread  and  butter,  with 

half 


£      5<5      1 

half  a  pint  of  ale  between  us.  But  the  entertainment 
was  in  her  coaverfation. 

The  early  hours  I  kept,  and  the  little  trouble  I  occa- 
Honed  in  the  family,  made  her  loth  to  part  with  me  ; 
and  when  I  mentioned  another  lodging  I  had  found, 
nearer  the  priming-houfe,  at  two  (hillings  a- week,  which 
fell  in  with  my  plan  of  faving,  (lie  perfuaded  me  to  give 
it  up,  making  herfelfan  abatement  of  two  (hillings:  and 
thus  I  continued  to  lodge  with  her,  during  the  remainder 
of  mv  abode  in  London,  at  eighteen- pence  a  week. 

In  a  garret  of  the  houfe  there  lived,  in  the  moft  re 
tired  manner,  a  lady  fcventy  years  of  age,  of  whom  I 
received  the  following  account  from  my  landlady.  She 
was  a  Roman  Catholic.  In  her  early  years  (lie  had  been 
&nt  to  the  continent,  and  entered  a  convent  with  thede- 
fign  of  becoming  a  nun  ;  but  the  climate  not  agreeing 
with  her  conftitution,  (he  was  obliged  to  return  to  Eng 
land,  where,  as  there  were  no  monaileries,  (he  made  a 
vow  to  lead  a  monadic  life,  in  as  rrgid  a  manner  as  cir- 
cumftances  would  permit.  She  accordingly  difpofed  of 
her  property,  to  he  applied  to  charitable  ufes,  referving 
to  herfelf  only  twelve  pounds  a  year;  and  of  this  fmall 
pittance  (he  gave  a  part  to  the  poor,  living  on  water- 

fruel,  and  never  making  uie  of  fire  but  to  boil  it.  She 
.ad  lived  in  this  garret  a  great  many  years,  without 
paying  rent  to  the  fucceih've  Catholic  inhabitants  that 
had  kept  the  houfe  ;  who  indeed  considered  her  abode 
with  them  as  a  bleffing.  A  pried  came  every  day  to 
confefs  her.  I  have  a(ked  her,  faid  my  landlady,  how, 
living  as  (he  did,  (he  could  find  fo  much  employment  for 
a  confeffor  ?  To  which  (he  anfwered,  that  it  was  iai- 
pofiible  to  avoid  vain  thoughts. 

I  was  once  permitted  to  vifit  her;  She  was  cheerfai 
and  polite,  and  her  converfation  agreeable*  Her  apart 
ment  was  neat ;  but  the  whole  furniture  confifted  of  a 
matrafs,  a  table,  on  which  were  a  crucifix  and  a 
book,  a  chair,  which  (he  gave  me  to  fit  on,  and  over  the 
mantle-piece  a  pi&ure  of  St.  Veronica  difplaying  her 
handkerchief,  on  which  was  feen  the  miraculous  impref- 
fba.  of  the  face  of  Chrift^  which  (he  explained  to  m6 


[    57        I 

with  great  gravity.  Her  countenance  was  pale,  but  (he 
had  never  experienced  ficknefs;  and  I  may  a-.'duce  her 
as  another  proof  how  little  is  diffident  to  maintain  life 
and  health. 

At  the  printing-houfe  I  contracted  an  intimacy  with  a 
'•fenfible  young  man  of  the  name  of  Wygate,  who,  as  his 
parents  were  in  good  cm  umftances,  had  received  a  better 
education  than  is  common  with  printers.  He  was  a 
tolerable  Latin  fcholar,  fpoke  French  fluentlj^and  was 
fond  of  reading.  I  taught  him,  as  well  as  a  friend  of 
his,  to  fwim,  by  taking  them  twice  only  into  the  river  ; 
after  which  they  flood  in  need* of  no  farther  affiftance. 
V/e  one  day  made  a  party  to  go  by  water  to  Chelfea  in 
order  to  fee  the  College,  and  Don  Soltero's  curiofities. 
On  our  return,  at  the  requcft  of  the  company,  whofe 
curiofity  Wygate  had  excited,  1  undreflVd  myfelf,  and 
leaped  into  the  river.  I  fwam  from  near  Chelfea  the 
whole  way  to  Black- friars  Bridge,  exhibiting,  during 
rny  courfe,_a  variety  of  feats  of  activity  and  addtefs, 
both  upon  the  furface  of  the  water,  as  well  as  under  it. 
This  fight  occafioned  much  aftonifhment  and  pleafure  to 
thofe  to  whom  it  was  new.  In  my  youth  I  took  great 
delight  in  this  exercife.  I  knew,  and  could  execute, 
all  the  evolutions  and  pofitions  of  Thevenot ;  and  I  add 
ed  to  them  fome  of  my  own  invention,  in  which  I  en 
deavoured  to  unite  gracefulnefs  and  utility.  I  took  a 
pleafure  in  difplaying  them  all  on  this  occafion,  and  was 
highly  flattered  with  the  admiration  they  excited. 

Wygate,  befides  his  being  defirous  of  perfecting  him- 
ielf  in  this  art,  was  the  more  attached  to  me  from  there 
being,  in  other  refpe&s,  a  conformity  in  our  taftes  and 
iiudies.  He  at  length  propofed  to  me  to  make  the  tour 
of  Europe  with  him,  maintaining  ourfelves  at  the  fame 
time  by  working  at  our  profeffion.  I  was  on  the  point 
x)f  confenting,  when  I  mentioned  it  to  my  friend  Den- 
ham,  with  whom  1  was  glad  to  pafs  an  hour  whenever  I 
had  leifure.  He  diffuade.d  me  from  the  project,  and 
advifed  me  to  return  to  Philadelphia,  which  he  was  about 
to  do  himfelf.  I  muft  relate  in  this  place  a  trait  of  this 
worthy  man's  character. 

He 


t   58   I 

He  had  formerly  been  in  bnfmefs  at  Briftol,  tut  fad 
ing,  he  compounded  with  his  creditors,  and  departed 
for  America,  where,  by  affiduous  application  as  a  mer 
chant,  he  acquired  in  a  few  years  a  very  coniiderable 
fortune.  Returning  to  England  in  the  fame  veffel  with 
inyfclf,  as  1  have  related  above,  he  invited  all  his  old 
creditors  to  a  feaih  When  aflembled,  he  thanked  them 
for  the  readinefs  with  which  they  had  received  his  fmall 
compofiturn  ;  and,  while  they  expected  nothing  more 
than  a  fimple  entertainment,  each  found  tinder  his  plate, 
when  it  came  to  be  removed,  a  draft  upon  a  banker  for 
the  reiidue  of  his  debt,  with  interefh 

He  told  me  it  was  his  intention  to  carry  back  with 
him  to  Philadelphia  a  great  quantity  of  goods,  in  order 
to  open  a  flore;  and  he  offered  to  take  rne  with  him  in 
the  capacity  of  a  clerk,  to  keep  his  books,  in  which  he 
would  inftrucl  me,  copy  letters,  and  fnperintend  the 
fhore.  He  added,  that,  as  foon  as  I  had  acquired  a 
.knowledge  of  mercantile  tranfactions,  he  would  improve 
xny  foliation*  by  fending  me  with  a  cargo  of  corn  and 
fioar  to  the  American  i (lands,  and  by  procuring  me 
other  lucrative  cornmiflions ;  fo  that,  with  good  manage 
ment  and  economy,  I  might  in  time  begin  pufmefs  with 
advantage  for  my  (elf. 

I  reliihed  thefe  propofals.  London  began  to  tire 
me  ;  the  agreeable  hours  I  had  paifed  at  Philadelphia 
prefented  themfelves  to  my  mind,  and  I  had  wifhed  to 
fee  them  revive.  1  confequcntly  engaged  myfelf  to  Me* 
Denham,  at  a  falary  of  fifty  pounds  a  year.  This  was 
indeed  lei's  than  1  earned  as  a  compofaor,  bat  then  I  had 
a.  much  fairer  profpecl.  I  took  leave,  therefore,  as  I 
believed  forever,  of  printing,  and  gave  myfelf  up  entire 
ly  to  my  new  occupation,  (pending  all  my  time  either  in 
going  from  houfe  to  houfe  with  Mr.  Denham  to  purehafe 
goods,  or  in  packing  them  up,  or  in  expediting  the 
workmen,  &c,  &c.  When  every  thing  was  on  board,  I 
•had  at  laft  a  few-  days  leifure. 

Daring  this  interval,  I  was  one  day  fent  for  by  a  gen 
tleman,  whom  I  knew  only  by  name.  It  was  Sir  Wil 
liam  Wyndham.  I  went  to  his  houfe.  He  had  by 

fonae 


I      59      1 

•Tajae  tnesns  heard  of  my  performance  between  Ofcelfea 
and  Black-friars,  and  that  I  had  taught  the  art  of  fvvim- 
roing  to  Wygatc  and  another  yoang  man  in  the  courfe 
cf  a  few  hours.  His  two  fans  were  on  the  point  of  fet- 
ting  out  on  their,  travels;  he  was  defirous  that  they 
fhould  previoufly  learn  to  fwim,  and  offered  me  a  very 
liberal  reward  if  I  would  undertake  to  inflruct  them. 
They  were  not  yet  arrived  in  town,  and  the  ftay  I  fhoultV 
make  myfelf  was  uncertain  ;  1  could  not  therefore  accept 
his  propofal.  I  was  led  however  to  fappofe,  from  this 
incident,  that  if  I  had  wiflied  to  remain  in  London,  and 
open  a  fwimming-fchool,  I  (hou)d  perhaps  have  gained 
a  great  deal  of  money.  Th's  idea  ftruck  me  foforciblv, 
that,  had  the  offer  been  made  fooaer,  1  muuld  have-dif- 
imiTcd-  the  thoughts  of  returning  as  yet  to  America, 
borne  years  after,  you  and  I  had  a  m  n-  important  bafi- 
ncfs  to  fettle  with  one  ot  the  fons  of  Sir  William  VVynd- 
liam,  then  Lord  EgrcJiont.  But  let  us  not 'anticipate 
events. 

I  thus  pafllvj  aocut  eighteen  months  in  London,  work- 
2111;  ahn.^ft  without  intermiffion  at  my  rrade,  avoiding 
all  expense  on  my  own  account,  except  g  ing  now  and 
t!'cn  to  the  play  and  purchafing  a  few  books.  But  my 
fr'end  Ralph  hep*  me  poor,  lie  owed  me  about  twenty- 
feven  pounds  which  WM  fomuch  money  loft ;  ana  when 
confidered  as  taken  from  my  little  favings,  was  a  very 
great  fum.  1  had  notwithi^anding  rhis  a  regard  for  Kira, 
as  he  pofTeifcd  many  amiable  qualities.  But  though  I 
had  done  nothing  for  myfelf  in  point  of  fortune,  i  had 
increafed  my  ft.  ck  of  knowledge,  either  by  the  many 
excellent  books  I  had  read,  or  the  converfation  of  learned 
and  literary  perfons  with  whom  2  was  acquainted. 

We  failed  from  Gravefend  the  2jd  of  July,  1726. 
For  the  incidents  of  rny  voyage  I  refer  you  to  my  Jour- 
rsl,  where  you  will  find  all  the  circumdances  minutely 
related.  We  landed  at  Philadelphia  on  the  nth  of  the 
following  Odober. 

Keith  liad  been  deprived  of  his  office  of  governor,  and 
was  fucceeded  by  Major  Gordon.  I  met  him  walking 
ia  the  ftreets  as  a  private  .individual.  Ke  appeared  a  lit. 

tic 


[       60       ] 

tie  afhamed  at  feeing  me,  but  paffed  on  without  faying 
any  thing. 

I  fhould  have  been  equally  afhameJ  myfelf  at  meeting 
Mifs  Read,  had  not  her  family,  juitly  dcfpairing  of  my 
return  alter  reading  my  letter,  advifed  her  to  give  me 
up,  ?.  id  marry  a  potter,  of  the  name  of  Rogers ;  to  which 
Anted:  but  lie  never  made  her  happy,  and  fhe 
fooa  Separated  fr  :m  him,  refafing  to  cohabit  with  him, 
or  even  bear  his  mine,  on  account  of  a  report  which 
prevailed,  of  his  having  another  wife.  His  fldll  in  his 
profeffion  had  feoucrd  Mifs  R<?ad's  parents;  but  he  was 
as  bad  a  fubje<ft  as  he  was  excellent  as  a  workman.  He 
involved  himfelf  in  debt,  and  fled,  in  the  year  1727  or 
172,8.  to  the  Weil-Indies,  where  he  died. 

During  ray  abfence,  Keimer  had  taken  a  more  confi- 
eierabJe  hiuil,  in  which  he  kept  a  ihop,  that  was  well 
fupplied  w'th  paper,  and  various  other  articles.  Hehad 
procured  fome  new  types,  and  a  number  of  workmen  ; 
among  w^om,  however,  thtre  was  not  one  who  was  good 
for  any  thing;  and  he  appeared  not  to  want  bufmefs. 

Mr.  Denham  took  a  warehoufe  in  Water-tfreet,  where 
we  exhibited  our  commodities,  I  applied  myfelf  clofely, 
itudied  accounts,  and  became  in  a  fhort  time  very  expert 
in  trade.  We  lodged  and  eat  together.  He  was  fm- 
cerely  attached  to  me,  and  aded  towards  me  as  if  he 
had  been  my  father.  On  my  fide,  1  refpefted  and  loved 
him.  My  fituation  was  happy  j  but  it  was  a  happinefs 
of  no  long  duration. 

Early  in  February  1727,  when  I  entered  into  my 
twenty- fecond  year,  we  were  both  taken  ill.  I  was  at 
tacked  with  a  pleurify,  which  had  nearly  carried  me  off; 
I  fuffered  terribly,  and  confidered  it  as  all  over  with  me. 
I  felt  indeed  a  fort  of  difappointment  when  I  found  my 
felf  likely  to  recover,  and  regretted  that  I  had  dill  to 
experience,  fooner  or  later,  the  fame  difagreeable  fcenc 
again. 

I  have  forgotten  what  was  Mr.  Denham's  diforder; 
but  it  was  a  tedious  one,  and  he  at  Lift  funk  under  it. 
He  left  me  a  fmall  legacy  in  his  will,  as  a  teftimony  of  bis 
frieudfhip  ;  and  I  was  once  more  abandoned  to  ttiyfelt 

in 


[     «*     3 

if*  the  •;•  :d,  the  warehoufe  Iking  confided  4b  the 

eare  of  the  feftamcntary  executor,  who  difmiffed  me. 

My  brother-in-law,  Holmes,  who  happened  to  be  at 
Philadelphia,  advifed  me  to  return  to  my  forme/  profef- 
fton  ;  and  Keinier  offtred  me  a-  very  considerable  falan% 
if  I  would  undertake  the  management  of  his  printing- 
office,  that  he  might  devote  him  fe  if  entirely  to  the  fuper- 
intcndance  of  his  fliop.  His  wife  and  relations  in  Lon 
don  had  given  me  a  bad  character  of  him  ;  and  I  was 
loath,  for  the  prefent,  to  have  any  concern  with  him. 
I  endeavoured  to  get  employment  as  a  clrrk  to  a  mer- 
ehant;  bat  not  readily  finding  a  iituation,  I  was  induc 
ed  to  accept  Keim<er's>  propo-0.il. 

The  following  Were  the  pcrfons  I  found  in  his  print- 
ing-honfe  : 

Hugh  Meredith,  a  Pennfylvanian,  abont  thirty-five- 
years  of  a^e,     He  liad  been  brought  up  to  huiban'drr, 
was  honefl,  fcnfihie,  had  fome  experience,  and  was  fond 
of  reading  :  but  too  much  addicted  to  drinking. 

Stephen  Potts,  a  young  ruftic,  jaft  broke  from  fchool; 
and  of  rwdic  education,  with  endowments  rather  above 
the'eomrnoii  order,  and  a  competent  portiota  of  under- 
(landin'g  and  gaiety  ;  but  a  little  idle.  Keimcr  had  en 
gaged  thefe  two  at  very  low  wages,  which  he  had  prom- 
ifed  to  raife  every  three  months  a  (hilling  a  week,  pro 
vided  their  improvement  in  the  typographic  art  fhould 
merit  it.  This  future  increafe  of  wages  was  the  bait  he 
made  ufe  of  to  enfnare  them.  Meredith  was  to  work 
at  the  prefs,  and  Potrs  to  bind  books,  which  he  had  en 
aged  to  teach  them,  though  he  underftood  neither  him- 
elf. 

John  Savage,  an  Irifhrmn,  who  had  been  brought  up 
to  no  trade,  and  whofe  fervicc,  for  a  period  of  four 
years,  K^imer  hai  porcivifed  of  the  captain  of  a  (hip. 
He  was  a'fo  to  be.  a  pivffman. 

George  Webb,  an  Oxford  fcholar,  whofe  time  !;e  had 
in  like  manner  bought  for  four  years,  intending  htm  for 
a  compofitor.  I  fhall  fpcak  more  of  him  prefently. 

Laftly,  David  Harry,  a  country  lad,  who  was  appren 
ticed  to  him. 

F  I 


g 
f 


t 


J 


I  fron  perceived  that  Keimer's  intention,  in  engaging 
rr<e  at  a  price  fo  rr.uch  above  what  he  was  accuitcmed  t<* 
£'ive,  was,  that  I  might  form  all  thefe  raw  journeymen 
ami  spjventices,  who  fcarcely  colt  him  any  thing,  and 
who,  being  indentured,  would,  as  foon  as  they  (hould 
be  fwffieiently  iaftrucled,  enable  him  to  do  without  me. 
I  nevertheless  adhered  to  my  agreement.  I  put  the  of 
fice  in  order,  which  v/as  in  the  utmoft  confufion,  and 
brought  his  people  by  degrees  to  pay  attention  to  their 
work,  and  to  execute  it  in  a  more  mafterjy  manner. 

It  was  Cngular  to  fee  an  Oxford  fcholar  in  the  condi 
tion  of  a  purchafcd  fervant.  He  was  not  more  than 
eighteen  years  of  age  ;  and  the  following  are  the  partic 
ulars  he  gave  me  of  hirafdf.  Born  at  Gloucefter,  he  had 
been  educated  at  a  grammar  fchocl,  and  had  diftinguiih- 
ed  himfelf  among  the  ftholars  by  his  fuper'or  ilylc  of 
acling,  when  they  reprefented  dramatic  performances. 
He  was  member  of  a  literary  club  in  the  town  ;  and 
fome  pieces  of  his  competition,  in  profe  as  well  as  in 
verfe,  had  been  inferted  in  the  Gloucefler  papers.  From 
hence  he  was  fent  to  Oxford,  where  he  remained  about 
a  year  ;  but  he  was  not  contented,  and  wiihed  above  all 
things  to  fee  London,  and  become  an  aclor.  At  length, 
having  received  fifteen  guineas  to  pay  his  quarter's  board, 
he  decamped  with  the  money  from  Oxford,  hid  his  gown 
in  a  hedge,  and  travelled  to  London.  There,  having  no 
friend  to  dire  ft  him,  he  fell  into  bad  company,  foon 
fquandered  his  fifteen  guineas,  could  find  no  way  of  be 
ing  introduced  to  the  aftors,  became  contemptible, 
pawned  his  clothes,  and  was  in  want  of  bread.  As  he 
was  walking  along  the  fteeets,  alnioft  famifhed  with  hun- 
grr,  and  not  knowing  what  to  do,  a  recruiting  bill  was 
put  into  his  hand,  which  offered  an  immediate  treat  and 
and  bounty-  money  to  whoever  was  difpofed  to  ferve  in 
America,  He  inftantly  repaired  to  the  houfe  of  ren 
dezvous,  inlifled  himfelf,  was  put  on  board  a  fhip  and 
conveyed  to  America,  without  ever  writing  to  inform 
his  parents  what  v/as  become  of  him.  His  mental  vi- 
v?cicy,  and  good  narural  difpofition,  made  him  an  ex 
cellent  companion  ;  but  he  wa~>  indolent,  thoughtlefs, 
and  to  th«  laft  degree  imprudent.  John, 


John,  the  Irimman,  foon  ran  away.  I  began  to  live 
very  agreeably  with  the  reft.  They  refpefted  me,  and 
the  more  To  as  they  found  Keimer  incapable  cf  icftrucfc- 
in*  them,  and  as  they  learned  fomething  from  me  ever/ 
<:av.  We  never  worked  on  a-  Saturday,  it  being  Kei- 
nier's  fabuath  ;  fo  that  1  had  two  days  a  week  for  read 
ing. 

i  increafed  my  acquaintance  with  perfons  of  know 
ledge  and  information  in  the  town.  •  Kcinier  himfelf 
treated  me  with  great  civility  and  apparent  efteem  ;  and 
i  had  nothing  to  give  me  uneafmefs  but  my  debt  to  Ver- 
ncn,  which  I  was  unable  to  pay,  my  favings  as  yet  being 
very  little.  He  had  the  goodaefs,  however,  not  to  afk 
me  for  the  mou-vy. 

Our  prefs  was  frequently  in  want  of  the  neceflary 
quantity  of  letter  ;  and  there  was  no  fuch  trade  as  that  of 
letter- founder  in  America.  I  had  feen  the  practice  of 
this  art  at  the  houfe  of  James,  in  London  j  but  at  the 
fa;ne  time  paid  it  very  litrlc  attention.  I  however  con 
trived  to  fabricate  a  mould,  I  made  ufe  of  fuch  letters 
as  we  had  for  punches,  founded  new  letters  of  lead  ia 
matrices  of  clay,  and  thus  fupplied,  in  a  tolerable  man 
ner,  the  wants  that  were  moft  preffing. 

1  aifo,  upon  cccafion,  engraved  various  ornaments, 
made  ink,  gave  an  eye  to  the  (hop  ;  in  ihort,.  I  was  ia 
every  refpeft  the  fa&otum.  But,  ufeful  as  I  made  ray- 
felf^  I  perceived  that  my  fer vices  became  every  day  of 
bfs  importance,  in  proportion  as  the  other  men  improv 
ed  ;  and  when  Keimer  paid  me  my  fecond  quarter's  wa 
ges,  he  gave  me  to  underfland  that  they  were  too  heavy,, 
and  that  he  tho-^ht  I  ought  to  make  an  abatement. 
He  became  by  degrees  lefs  civil,,  and  aiTumed  more  the, 
tone  of  mafter.  He  frequently  found  fault,  was  difficult 
to  pleafe,  and  feemed  always  on  the  point  of  coming  10 
an  open  quarrel  with  me. 

1  continued,  however,  to  bear  it  patiently,  conceiving 
that  his  ill-humour  was  partly  occafioned  by  the  derange 
ment  and  embarraflment  of  his  affairs.  At  laft  a  flight 
incident  broke  our  connection.  Hearing  a  noife  in  the 
neighbourhood,  I  put  my  .head  out  of  the  window  to  fee 
'F  2  what- 


r  64  •] 

what  was  the  matter.  Keiraer  being  in  the  ftreet,  ob- 
ferved  me,  and  in  a  loud  and  angry  tone,  told  me  to 
mind  my  work  ;  adding  fome  teproachful  words,  \\hich 
piqued  me  the  more  as  they  were  uttered  in  the 'ft  real; 
and  the  neighbours,  whom  the  fame  ncife  had  attra&c-d 
to  the  windows,  were  wirneffes  of  the  manner  in  which 
I  was  treated.  Me  immediately  came  up  to  the  printing- 
loom,  and  continued  to  exclaim  againft  me.  The  quar 
rel  became'warm  on  both  fides,  and  he  gave  me  notice 
to  quit  him  at  the  expiration  of  three  months,  as  had 
been  agreed  between  us  j  regretting  that  he  was  obliged 
to  give  me  fo  Jong  a  twn.  I  told  him  that  his  regret 
was  fuperfiucus,  as  I  was  ready  to  quit  him  inftantly  ; 
and  I  took  my  hat  and  came  out  of  the  houfe,  begging 
Meredith  to  take  care  of  fome  things  which  I  left,  and 
bring  them  to  my  lodgings. 

Meredith  came  to  me  in  the  evening.  We  talked  for 
fome  time  upon  the  quarrel  that  had  taken  place.  He 
had  conceived  a  great  veneration  for  me,  and  was  ferry 
1  mould  quit  the  houfe  while  he  remained  in  it.  He 
tiiffuaded  me  from  returning  to  my  native  country,  as  I 
began  to  think  of  doing.  He  reminded  me  that  Keiraer 
.owed  more  than  lie  poileflld  ;  that  his  creditors  began 
to  be  alarmed  ;  that  he  kept  his  mop  in  a  wretched  ftufe, 
often  felling  things  at  prime  coil  for  the  fake  of  ready 
money,  and  continually  giving  credit  without  keeping 
any  accounts ;  that  ot  confequence  he  mnft  very  foon 
fail,  which  would  occalion  a  vacancy  from  which  I  might 
derive  advantage.  I  objected  rny  want  of  money.  Up 
on  which  he  informed  me  that  his  father  had  a  very  high 
opinion  of  me,  and,  from  a  converfa  ion  that  had  palled 
between  them,  he  was  fure  that  he  would  advance  what 
ever  might  be  neceffary  to  eftablim  us,  if  I  was  willing 
to  enter  into  partner&ip  with  him.  t:  My  time  with 
Keimer,"  added  he,  "'will  be  at  an  end  next  fpring.  lu 
the  mean  time  we  may  fend  to  London  for  our  prefs  and 
types.  I  know  that  1  am  no  workman  ;  but  If  you  agree 
t )  the  prppofal,  your  {kill  in  the  bufinefs  will  be  balanced 
by  the  capital  I  will  furnim,  and  we  will  mare  the  pro 
fits  eqaally."  His  propofal  was  rcafonable,  and  I  fell 


[      65       ] 

in  with  ir.  Kis  father,  who  was  then  in  the  town,  ap 
proved  of  it.  He  knew  that  I  had  fjme  afcendehcy  over 
his  fbn,  as  ]  had  bsen  able  to  prevail  on  him  to  abitain 
a  long  time  from  drinking  brandy  ;  and  he  hoped  that, 
\fhen  more  clo-fely  eonnecled  with  him,  1  mould  cure 
him  entirely  of  this  unfortunate  habir. 

I  gave  the  father  a  lift  of  what  it  would  be  necefTary 
to  import  from  London.  He  took  it  to  a  merchant,  and 
the  order  was  given.  We  agreed  to  keep  the  Secret  till 
the  arrival  of  the  materials,  and  I  was  in  the  mean  time 
to  procure  work,  if  poflible,  in  another  printing  houfe  ; 
but  there  was  no  place  vacant,  and  I  remained  idle. 
Afier  fome  days,  KeLner  having  the  expectation  o*  be 
ing  employed  to  print  fome  New-Jerfey  money-bills, 
that  would  require  types  and  engravings  which  1  only 
could  furnifh,  r.nd  fearful  that  Bradford,  by  engaging 
me,  might  deprive  him  of  the  undertaking,  fent  me  a 
very  civil  'meiTage,  telling  me  that  old  friends  ought  not 
to  be  dif united  on  account  of  a  few  words,  which  were 
the  efftcl  only  of  a  momentary  paffion,  and  inviring  me 
to  return  to  him.  Meredith  perfuaded  me  to  comply 
with  the  invitation,  particularly  as  it  would  afford  him- 
more  opportunities  of  improving  himfelf  in  the  bufmef* 
by  means  of  my  inft ructions.  I  did  fo,  and  we  lived  up 
on  better  terms  than  before  our  fepa ration- 
He  obtained  the  New-Jerfey  bufiaefs  ;  and,  in  order 
to  execute  it,  I  conftrufled  a  copper-plate  printing- prefs  ; 
the  firft  that  had  been  feen  in  the  country,.  I  engraved 
various  ornaments  and  vignettes  for  the  bills ;  and  we 
repaired  to  Burlington  together,  where  1  executed1  the 
whole  to  the  general  fatisraclion  ;  and  he  received  a  funv 
of  money  for  his  work,  which  enabled  him  to  keep  his- 
head  above  water  for  a  conuckrable  time  longer. 

At  Burlington  1  formed  acquaintance  with  the  prin 
cipal  perfonages  c  •  the  province  ;  many  of  whom  were. 
commiiTioned  by  (he  Aflembly  to  fuperinteni  the  pref^, 
and  to  fee  that  no  more  bills  were  printed  than  the  law 
had  prefcribed.  Accordingly  they  were  constantly  '.vi:h 
us,  each  in  his  turn  ;  and  he  that  came,  com 
brought  wiih  him  a  fri-.-jvl  or  *\vo  to  bsarhim  c~. 

' 


My  mind  was  mo-re  cultivated  by  reading  than  Keimer's; 
and  it  was  for  this  reafan,  probably,  that  they  fet  more 
value  on  my  converfadon. '  They  took  me  to  their 
hoiiies,  introduced  me  to  their  friends,  and  treated  me 
with  the  greateft  civility  •  while  Keimer,  though  matter, 
faw  himfelf  a  little  negledted.  He  was,  in  fad,  a  itrange 
animal,  ignorant  of  the  common  modes  of  lifo,  apt  "to 
opppfe  with  rud^nefs  generally  received  opinions,  an 
emhuiiaft  in  certain  points  of  religion,  difguftingly  un 
clean  in  his  perfon,  and  a  little  knavifh  withal. 

We  remained  there  nearly  three  months  ;  and  at  the 
expiration  of  this  period  I  could  include  in  the  Hit  of 
my  friends,  Judge  Allen,  Samuel  Buftil,  fecretary  of  the 
province,  Ifaac  Pearfon,  Jofeph  Ce'oper,  feveral  *<f  the 
Smiths,  all  members  of  the  Allembly,  and  Ifaac  Deacon, 
5nfpe<5lor- general.  The  laft  vvas  a  Ihrewd  and  fuhrle  old 
man.  He  told  me,  that,  when  a  boy,  his  fnil  employ 
ment  had  been  that  of  carrying  clay  to  brick- makers  ; 
that  he  did  not  learn  to  write  till  he  vvas  fomewhat  ad 
vanced  in  life  ;  that  he  was  afterwards  employed  as  an 
underling  to  a  furveyor,  who  taught  him  his  trade,  and 
that  by  induftry  he  had-  at  laft  acquired  a  competent 
fortune.  •'  I  forefee,"  faid  he  one  day  to  me,  "  that 
you  will  foon  fopplant  this  man,"  fpeaking  of  Keimer, 
"  and  get  a  fortune  in  the  bulinefs  at  Philadelphia." 
He  was  totally  ignorant  at  the  time  of  my  intention  of 
eftabliftiing  myfelf  there,  cr  any  where  elfe.  Thefe 
friends  were  very  ferviceaMe  to  me  in  the  end,  as  was  I 
alfo,  upon  occafion,  to  fome  of  them  ;  and  they  have 
continued  ever  fince  their  efteem  for  me. 

Before  I  relate  the  particulars  of  my  entrance  into 
bufinefs,  it  may  be  proper  to  inform  you  what  was  at 
that  time  the  fbate  of  my  mind  as  to  moral  principles, 
that  you  may  fee  the  degree  of  influence  they  had  upon 
the  fubfeqnenr  events  of  my  life. 

My  parents  had  given  me  betimes  religious  impref- 
iions;  and  I  received  from  my  infancy  a  pious  education 
in  the  principles  of  Calvinifm.  But  fcarcely  was  I  ar 
rived  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  when,  after  having  doubted 
in  turn  of  different  tenets,  according  as  I  found  them 

combated 


combated  in  the  different  books  that  I  read,  I  began  to 
doubt  of  revelation  itfelf.  Some  volumes  againft  deifm 
fell  into  ray  hands.  They  were  faid  to  be  the  fubftance 
of  fermons  preached  at  Boyle's  led u re.  It  happened 
that  they  produced  on  me  an  effed  precifely  the  reverfe 
of  what  was  intended  by  the  writers  ;  for  the  arguments 
of  the  deifts,  which  were  cited  in  order  to  be  refuted, 
appeared  to  me  much  more  forcible  than  the  refutation 
itfelf.  In  a  .word,  I  foon  became  a  perfect  deift.  My 
arguments  foon  perverted  fome  other  young  perfons, 
particularly  Collins  and  Ralph.  But  in  the  fequel, 
when  I  recolleded  that  they  had  both  ufed  me  extremely 
ill,  without  the  fmalleft  remorfc  ;  v.'h^n  i  confidered  the 
behaviour  of  Keith,  another  free-thinker,  and  my  con- 
dud  towards  Vernon  and  Mifs  Read,  which  at  times 
gave  me  much  uneafmefs  ;  I  was  led  to  fufpect  that  this 
doctrine,  though  it  might  be  true,  was  not  very  ufeful. 
I  began  to  entertain  a  lefs  favourable  opinion  of  my 
London  pamphlet,  to  which  I  had  prefixed,  as  a  motto, 
the  following  lines  of  Dry  den  : 

Whatever  is,  is  right ;  though  purblind  man 
-Sees  but  part  of  the  chain,  the  ncarett  link, 
His  eyes  not  carrying  to  the  unequal  beam 
That  poiies  all.  above. 

And  of  which  the  object  was  to  pro  re,  from  the  attributes 
of  God,  his  goodnefs,  wifdom,  and  power,  that  there 
could  be  no  iuch  thing  as  evil  in  the  world  ;  that  vice 
and  virtue  did  not  in  reality  exifl,  and  were  nothing 
more  than  vain  diftindions.  I  no  longer  regarded  it  as 
fb  bla'-nelefs  a  work  as  I  had  formerly  imagined  ;  and  I 
fufpeded  forae  error  muft  imperceptibly  have  glided  into 
my  argument,  as  all  the  inferences  I  had  drawn  from  it 
had  been  affeded,  as  frequently  happens  in  metaphyfical 
reafonings.  In  a  word,  I  was  at  laft  convinced  that 
truth,  probity,  and  fmcerity,  in  tranfadions  between  man 
and  man,  were  of  the  utmoft  importance  to  the  happi- 
ncfs  of  life;  and  I  refolved  from  that  moment,  and 
wrote  the  refolutioa  in  my  journal,  to  pradife  them  as 
long  as  I  lived, 

Revelatioa  indeed,  as  fuch,   had  no  influence  on  my 

mind  5 


[       68       J 

i^ind  ;  but  I  was  of  opinion  that,  though  certain  ailions 
could  not  be  bad,  merely  becaufe  revelation  prohibited 
them,  or  good,  becaufe  it  enjoined  them,  yet  it  was 
probable  that  thofe  adtions  were  prohibited  becaufe  they 
were  bad  for  us,  or  enjoined  becaufe  advantageous  in 
their  nature,  all  things  confidered.  This  perfyafion, 
divine  Providence,  or  fome  guardian  angeJ,  and  perhaps 
a  concurrence  of  favourable  circumftances  in  their  na 
ture,  co-operating,  preferved  me  from  all  immorality, 
or  grofs  and  ^voluntary  injuftice,  to  which  my  want  of 
religion  was  calculated  to  expofe  me,  in  the  dangerous 
period  of  yourh,  and  in  the  hazardous  fituation  in  which 
I  fomctimes  found  myfelf,  among  Grangers,  and  at  a 
Pittance  from  the  eye  and  admonitions  of  my  father.  I 
may  fay  voluntary,  becaufe  the  errors  into  which  I  had 
fallen  had  been  in  a  manner  the  forced  refult  either  of 
my  own  experience  or  the  difhonefiy  of  others.  Thus, 
before  I  entered  on  my  new  career,  I  had  imbibed  folid 
principles,  and  a  character  of  probity.  I  knew  their 
value ;  and  I  made  a  folemn  engagement  with  myfelf 
never  to  depart  from  them, 

1  had  not  long  returned  from  Burlington,  before  our 
printing  materials  arrived  from  London.  I  fettled  my 
accounts  with  Keimer,  and  quitted  him  with  his  own 
confciit,  before  he  had  any  knowledge  of  our  plan.  We 
found  a  houfe  near  the  market.  We  took  it;  and  to 
render  the  rent  lefs  bunhenfome  (it  was  then  twenty- 
four  pounds  a  year,  but  I  have  fince  known  it  to  let  for 
feventy)  we  admitted  Thomas  Godfrey,  glazier,  with 
his  family,  who  eafed  us  of  a  confiderable  part  of  it ; 
and  with  him  we.  agreed  to  board. 

We  had  no  foontr  unpacked  our  letters,  and  put  our 
prefs  in  order,  than  a  perfon  of  my  acquaintance, 
George  Houfe,  brought  us  a  countryman,  whom  he  had 
met  in  the  ftreet  inquiring  for  a  printer.  Our  money 
was  almoft  exhaufted  by  the  number  of  things  we  had 
been  obliged  to  procure.  The  five  millings  we  received 
from  this  countryman,  the  firft  fruit  of  our  earnings, 
coming  fo  feafonably,  gave  me  more  pleafure  than  any, 
"  I  have  fince  gained ;  and  the  recclieftion  of  the 

gratitude 


r   «>    3 

gratitude  I  felt  on  tins  occafion  to  George  Howfe,  1ms 
rendered  me  often  more  difpofed,  than  perhaps  !  ftotsll 
otherwife  have  been,  to  encourage  young  beginners  in 
trade. 

There  are  in  every  country  raorofe  being*,  who  arc 
always  prognofticating  ruin.  There  was  ORC  of  t?H$ 
{ramp  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  a  man  of  forturre,  de 
clined  in  years,  had  an  air  of  wifdom,  and  a  very  grave 
manner  of  f peaking.  His  name  was  Samuel  Mickle.  I 
knew  him  nor  ;  but  he  {topped  one  day  at  my  door,  and 
silk.  :•.!  me  if  I  was  the  young  mftn  who  had  lately  opened 
a  new  printing  houfe.  Upon  my  anfweriag  in  the  af- 
£rmati*e,  he  fatd  he  was  very  forry  for  me,  as  it  was  an 
expenfive  undertaking,  and  the  money  that  had  been  laid 
out  upon  it  would  be  loft,  Philadelphia  being  a  place 
falling  into  decay  ;  its  inhabitants  having  all,  or  nearly 
all  of  them,  been  obliged  to  call  together  their  creditors, 
That  he  kn»?w,  from  undoubted  faft,  the  circumftances 
which  might  lead  us  to  fuppofe  the  contrary,  fuch  as 
new  buildings,  and  the  advanced  price  of  rent,  to  be  de 
ceitful  appearances,  which  in  reality  contributed  tohaft- 
cn  the  general  rum ;  and  he  gave  me  fo  long  a  detail  of 
misfortunes,  actually  exifting,  or  which  were  foon  to 
tuk?  place,  that  he  left  me  almoft  ia  a  ftafe  of  defpair. 
Had  I  known  this  man  before  1  entered  into  trade,  I 
ihonid  doubtlefs  never  have  ventured.  He  however 
continued  to  live  in  this  place  of  decay,  and  to  declaim 
in  the  fame  ftyle,  refufing  for  many  years  to  buy  a  houfcs 
becaufe  all  was  going  to  wreck  ;  and  in  the  end  I  had' 
the  farisfaftion  to  fee  him  pay  live  times  as  much  for  one 
as  it  would  havecoft  him  had  he  purchaftd  it  when  he  firft 
began  his  lamentations. 

I  ought  to  have  related,  that,  during  the  autumn  of 
the  preceding  year,  I  had  united  the  majority  of  well- 
informed  perfons  of  my  acquaintance  into  a  club,  which 
\VQ  called  by  the  name  of  the  Junto,  and  the  object  of 
\vhich  was  to  improve  our  underilandings.  We  met 
every  Friday  evening.  The  regulations  I  drew  up  oblig 
ed  every  member  to  propofe,  in  his  turn,  one  or  more 
quellions  upon  fome  point  of  morality,  politics,  or  phi- 


I'   1°   I 

lofophy,  which  wtre  to  be  difculTed  by  the  ibciefr-; 
a;id  to  read,  ones  in  three  months,  an  ellay  of  Li-  ov.  ;• 
competition,  on  whatever  fubjecl.  he  pleafed.  Our  de 
bates  were  under  the  direction  of  a  president,  ant!  wera 
to  be  dictated  only  by  a  fincere  defire  of  truth  ;  the 
pleafure  of  disputing,  and  the  vanity  of  triumph,  Laving 
jio  (hare  in  the  bufmefs  ;  and,  in  order  to  prevent  undue 
warmth,  every  exprefiion  which  implied  obftinate  adher 
ence  to  an  opinion,  and  all  direct  contradidon,  were 
prohibited,  under  fmall  pecuniary  penalties. 

The  firil  members  of  our  club  were  Jofeph  Brein'nal, 
whofe  occupation  was  that  of  a  fcri  verier.  He  was  a 
middle-aged  man,  of  a  good  natural  dlfpofition,  (hongly 
attached  to  his  friends,  a  great  lover  of  poetry,  reading 
e\ery  thing  that  came  in  his  way,  and  writing  tolerably 
well,  ingenious  in  many  little  trifks,  and  of  an  agreeable 
conversation. 

Thomas  Godfrey,  a  fkilful,  though  felf- taught  maihe- 
matician,  and  who  was  afterwards  the  inventor  of  what 
now  goes  by  the  name  of  Hadley's  dial  ;  but  he  had  lit' 
tie  knowledge  out  of  his  own  line,  and  was  infuppcrtaLb 
in  company,  always  requiring  like  the  majoiity  of  Ma 
thematicians  that  have  fallen  in  ray  way,  an  unufual  ;?re- 
cifion  in  every  thing  that  is  {aid,  continually  contradict 
ing  or  making  trifling  diftinclions  ;  a  fare  way  of  defeat 
ing  all  the  ends  of  ccnverfation.  He  very  foon  left  us. 

Nicholas  Scull,  a  furveyor,  and  who  became  after 
wards  furveyor- general.  He  was  fond  of  bocks,  and 
wrote  verfes. 

William  Parfons,  brought  up  to  the  trade  of  a  (hoe- 
maker,  but  who,  having  a  tafte  for  reading,  had  acquired 
a  profound  knowledge  of  mathematics.  He  firft  itudicd 
them  with  a  view  to  aftrology,  and  was  afterwards  the 
firft  to  laugh  at  his  folly,  lie  alfo  became  furveyor- 
general. 

William  Mawgridge,  a  joiner  and  a  very  excellent 
mechanic  ;  and  in  other  refpefts  a  man  of  f'olid  undet- 
ftanding. 

Hugh  Meredith,  Stephen  Potts  and  George  Webb,  of 
whom  I  have  already  fpoken. 

Robert 


[      7'       T 


Robert  Grace,  a  young  man  of  fortune  j  ge 
animated  and  witty  ;    fond  of  epigrams,  bat  more  fond 
of  his  friends. 

And  laftly,  William  Colemar,  at  that  time  a  mer 
chant's  clerk,  and  nearly  of  my  own  ag;%  He  had  a 
cooler  and  clearer  head,  a  better  hear:,  and  more  fcrupu- 
lous  morals,  than  almoft  any  other  perfon  I  have  ever 
met  with.  He  became  3  very  refpeclable  merchant, 
and  one  of  our  provincial  judges.  Our  friendship  fub- 
jitted.  without  interruption,  for  more  than  forfy  year?, 
till  the  period  of  his  death  ;  and  thi  club  continued  to 
exift  alrnoft  as  long. 

This  was  the  beft  fchool  of  politics  and  philofophy 
that  then  exifled  in  the  province;  for  our  queftions, 
n  hich  were  read  a  week  previous  to  their  diicufiion,  in 
duced  us  to  perufe  attentively  fuch  !x>oks  as  were  written 
upon  the  fubjecls  propofed,  that  we  might  be  able  to 
fpeak  upon  them  mere  pertinently.  V/e  thus  acquired 
the  habit  of  converting  more  agreeably  ;  every  object 
being  difcuffed  conformably  to  our  regulations,  and  in  a 
manner  to  prevent  mutual  difgufl.  To  this  circumllance 
may  be  attributed  the  long  duration  of  the  club  ;  which 
1  ihall  have  frequent  occasion  to  mention  as  I  proceed. 

I  have  introduced  it  here,  as  being  one  of  the  •  >ans 
on  which  1  had  to  count  for  fuccefs  in  my  bufinefs  j  every 
member  exerting  himfclf  to  procure  work  for  us.  Breint* 
rial,  among  others,  obtained  for  us,  on  the  part  of  the 
Quakers,  the  printing  of  forty  fiieets  of  their  hiilorj  ;  the 
reit  of  which  was  to  be  done  by  Keimcr.  Our  execu 
tion  of  this  work  was  by  no  means  mafttrly  ;  as  the  price 
was  very  low.  It  was  in  folio,  upon  pro  patria  paper, 
and  in  the  pica  letter,  with  heavy  notes  in  the  fmalleft. 
type.  I  eompofed  a  flieet  a  day.  and  Meredith  put  it  to 
the  prtfs.  It  was  frequently  eleven  o'clock  at  night, 
iometimes  later,  before  I  had  finifhed  my  diftribution  for 
the  next  day's  talk  ;  for  the  little  things  which  our  friends 
occafionally  fent  us,  kept  us  back  in  this  work  :  but  I 
was  fo  determined  to  compofe  a  fneet  a  day,  that  one 
evenirg,  when  my  form  was  impofed,  and  my  day's 
work,  as  I  thought,  at  an  end,  an  accident  having  broken 

this 


f      7*      J 

tfcis  fe?m,  and  deranged  two  complete  folio  pages,  I  I'm- 
ihediately  diftrioBCed,  and  compoied  them  anew  before  I 
went  to  bed. 

This  unweared  mduftry,  which  vr-as  perceived  by  onr 
neighbours,  began  to  acquire  us  repiraiion  and  credit. 
I  learned  among  other  things,  'that  our  new  printing- 
houfe  beiftg  the  fu'  }-ct  of  converfarion  at  a  club  of  mer 
chant,  who  met  every  evening,  it  was  the  general  opin 
ion  that  it  would  <a  1  ;  there  being  already  two  printing- 
liviifvs  in  the  town,  Keimer 's  and  Bradford's.  But  Dr. 
Bnr<1,  whom  you  and  J  had  occaflon  TO  fee,  many  yeara 
after,  at  his  native  town  of  St,  Andrews  in  Sco.bnd,  was 
«f  a  different  opinion.  **  Theinduftry  ef  this  Franklin 
{faiti  he)  is  fuperior  to  any  thing  of  ihe  kind  1  have  o.er 
tvitneffed.  1  fee  him  iiili  at  work  when  I  return  from 
the  club  at  irghr,  and  he  is  at  it  again  in  the  morning 
bv-f ore  his  neighbour?  are  out  of  bed."  This  account 
ftruck  the  relt  of  the  affembly,  and  fnortly  after,  one  of 
its  members  came  to  our  houfe,  and  offered  to  fupply  us 
with  articles  of  ftarionary  ;  but  we  wifned  not  as  yet  to 
cmbsrrafs  ourftlves  with  keeping  a  fhop.  It  is  not  for 
the  fake  of  applaufe  that  1  enter  fo  freely  into  the  parti- 
culars  of  my  indullrv,  but  that  fuch  of  my  defendants 
as  f'f  ^  read  thefe  memoirs  may  know  the  ufe  of  this  vir 
tue,  oy  feeing  in  the  reciral  of  my  life  the  effefts  it  oper 
ated  in  my  favour. 

George  Webb,  having  found  a  friend  who  lent  him  the 
neceflary  fum  to  buy  out  his  time  of  Keimer,  came  one 
day  to  offer'  himfelf  to  us  as  a  journeyman.  We  could 
not  employ  him  immediately  ;  but  1  fooliftily  '.old  him, 
under  the  rofe,  that  I  intended  fnortiy  to  publiih  a  new 
periodical  paper,  and  that  we  Ihc-uld  then  have  work  for 
him.  My  hopes  of  fuccefs,  which  I  impart-ed  to  him, 
were  founded  on  the  circum^ance,  that  the  only  paper 
we  had  in  Philadelphia  yt  that  tin>e.  ;dford 

printed,  was  a  paltry  thing",  rnifer//  •,  in  no 

refpeft  amufmg,  and  which  yet  v/as  profitable,  I  confe- 
qnentlv  fuppofrd  that  a  good  work  of  this  kind  could 
not  fail  of  fuccefs.  Webb  betrayed  my  fecret  to  Keimer, 
who,  to  prevent  me,  immediately  published  the  projfe£his 

of 


£      73      3 

«f  a  paper  that  he  intended  to  inftitute  himfel'f,  and  in 
which  Webb  wa^  to  be  engaged. 

1  was  exafperated  at  this  proceeding,  and,  with  a  view 
to  counteraft  them,  not  being  able  at  prefent  to  inftitute 
my  own  paper,  I  wrote  feme  humorous  pieces  in  Brad 
ford's  under  the  title  ot  the  Bufy  Body  ;*  and  which  was 
continaed  for  feveral  months  by  Breintnal.  I  hereby 
fixed  the  attention  of  the  public  upon  Bradford's  paper, 
£nd  the  profpedus  of  Keimer,  which  we  turned  into  ridi 
cule,  was  treated  with  contempt.  He  began,  notwith- 
ftantiing,  his  paper  ;  and  after  continuing  it  for  nine 
months,  having  at  moft  not  more  than  ninety  fubfcribers, 
he  offered  it  to  me  for  a  mere  triHe.  1  had  for  fome  time 
been  ready  for  fuch  an  engagement ;  I  therefore  inftantly 
took  it  upon  myfelf,  and  in  a  few  years  it  proved  ex 
tremely  profitable  to  me. 

I  perceive  that  1  am  apt  to  fpeak  in  the  firft  perfon, 
though  our  parinerihip  (till  continued.  It  is  perhaps, 
becaufe  in  fact,  the  whole  bufinefs  devolved  upon  me, 
Meredith  was  nocompofitor,  and  but  an  indifferent  prefT- 
man  :  and  it  was  rarely  that  he  abftained  from  hard 
drinking.  My  friends  were  forty  to  fee  me  connected 
with  him  ;  but  I  contrived  to  derive  from  it  the  utmoft 
advantage  the  cafe  admitted. 

Our  firft  number  produced  no  other  efFeft  than  any  o- 
ther  paper  which  had  appeared  in  the  province,  as  to  type 
and  printing  ;  but  fome  remarks,  in  my  peculiar  ftyle  of 
writing,  upon  the  difpute  which  then  prevailed  between 
governor  Burner  and  the  MafTachafetts  affembly,  ftruck 
fome  perfons  as  above  mediocrity,  caufed  the  paper  and 
its  editors  to  be  talked  of,  and  in  a  few  weeks  induced 
them  to  become  our  fubfcribers.  Many  others  follow 
ed  their  example;  and  our  fubfcriptjon  continued  to  in- 
ereafe.  This  was  one  of  the  firtt  good  effects  of  the 
pains  I  had  taken  to  learn  to  put  my  ideas  on  paper.  I 
derived  this  farther  advantage  from  it,  that  the  leading 
men  of  the  place,  feeing  in  the  author  of  this  publication 
G  a 

*  A  manufcript  note  in  the  file  of  the  American  Mercury,  pre- 
ferved  in  the  Philadelphia  library,  lays,  that  Franklin  wrate  the 
firft  five  numbers  and  part  ot"  the  eighth, 


[       74      ] 

a  man  fo  well  able  to  ufe  his  pen,  thought  it  right  to  en 
courage  and  patronife  me. 

The  votes,  laws,  and  other  public  pieces,  were  print 
ed  by  Bradford.  An  addrefs  of  the  houfe  of  AiTembly 
to  the  governor  had  been  executed  by  him  in  a  very 
coarfe  and  incorred  manner.  We  reprinted  it  with  ac 
curacy  and  neatnefs,  and  fent  a  copy  to  every  member. 
They  perceived  the  difference  ;  and  it  fo  ftrengthened 
the  influence  of  our  friends  in  the  Affernbly,  that  we 
were  nominated  its  printer  for  the  following  year. 

Among  thefe  friends  1  ought  not  to  forget  one  mem 
ber  in  particular,  Mr.  Hamilton,  whom  I  have  mention 
ed  in  a  former  part  of  my  narrative,  and  who  was  now- 
returned  from  England.  He  warmly  interfiled  himfelf 
for  me  on  this  occafion,  as  he  did  likewife  on  many  o- 
thers  afterwards ;  having  continued  his  kindnefs  to  me 
till  his  death. 

About  this  period  Mr.  Vernon  reminded  me  of  the 
debt  I  owed  him,  but  without  preffing  me  for  payment. 
I  wrote  him  a  handfome  letter  on  the  occalion,  begging 
him  to  wait  a  little  longer,  to  which  he  confented  ;  and 
as  foon  as  I  was  able  I  paid  him,  principal  and  intereft, 
with  many  expreflions  of  gratitude;  fo  that  this  error  of 
my  life  was  in  a  manner  atoned  for. 

But  another  trouble  now  happened  to  me,  which  I 
had  not  the  fmalleft  reafon  to  expect.  Meredith's  father, 
who,  according  to  our  agreement,  was  to  defray  the 
whole  expence  of  our  printing  materials,  had  only  paid 
a  hundred  pounds.  Another  hundred  was  ftill  due, 
and  the  merchant  being  tired  of  waiting,  commenced  a 
fuit  againft  us.  We  bailed  the  action,  with  the  melan 
choly  profpccl,  that,  if  the  money  was  not  forth  coming 
at  the  time  fixed,  the  affair  would  come  to  iffue,  judg 
ment  be  put  in  execution,  our  delightful  hopes  be  anni 
hilated,  and  ourfelves  entirely  ruined  ;  as  the  type  and 
prcfs  mud  be  fold,  perhaps  at  half  their  value,  to  pay 
the  debt. 

In  this  diftrefs,  two  real  friends,  whofe  generous  con 
duct  I  have  never  forgotten,  and  never  fuall  forget 
while  I  retain  the  remembrance  of  any  thing,  came  to 

me 


[75      J 

me  feparately,  without  the  knowledge  of  each  other,,  and 
without  my  having  applied  to  them.  Each  offered  me 
whatever  fum  might  be  necefTary,  to  take  the  bufmefs  in 
to  my  own  hands,  if  the  thing  was  practicable,  as  they 
did  not  like  I  mould  continue  in  partnerfhip  with  Mer 
edith,  who,  they  faid,  was  frequently  fecn  drunk  in  the 
ftreets,  and  gambling  at  ale-houfes,  which  very  much 
injured  our  credit.  Thefe  friends  were  William  Cole- 
man  and  Robert  Grace.  I  told  them  that  while  there 
remained  any  probability  that  the  Merediths  would  ful 
fil  their  part  of  the  compacl,  I  could  not  propofe  a  fepar- 
ation  ;  as  I  concieved  myfelf  to  be  under  obligations  to 
them  for  what  they  had  done  already,  and  were  ftill  dif- 
pofed  to  do  if  they  had  the  power  :  but  in  the  end 
faould  they  fail  in  their  engagement,  and  our  partner- 
fnip  be  diffolved,  I  fhould  then  think  myfelf  at  liberty 
to  accept  the  kindnefs  of  my  friends. 

Things  remained  for  fome  time  in  this  ftate.  At  laft 
I  faid  one  day  to  my  partner,  "  Your  father  is  perhaps 
diiTatisfted  with  your  having  a  mare  only  in  the  bufmefs, 
and  is  unwilling  to  do  for  two,  what  he  wcj^ld  do  for 
you  alone.  Tell  me  frankly  if  that  b«  the  cafe,  and  I 
will  refign  the  whole  to  you,  and  do  for  myfelf  as  well 
as  I  can." — '*  No  (faid  he)  my  father  has  really  been 
tlifappointed  in  his  hopes  ;  he  is  not  able  to  pay,  and  I 
wifii  to  put  him  to  no  further  inconvenience.  I  fee  that 
I  am  not  at  all  calculated  for  a  printer;  I  was  educated 
as  a  fanner,  and  it  was  abfurd  in  me  to  come  here,  at 
thirty  yenrs  of  age,  and  bind  myfelf  apprentice  to  a  new 
trade.  Many  of  my  countrymen  are  going  to  fettle  in 
North-Carolina,  where  the  foil  is  exceedingly  favoura 
ble.  I  am  tempted  to  go  with  them,  and  to  refume  my 
former  occupation.  You  will  doubtlefs  find  friends  who 
will  affift  you.  If  you  will  take  upon  yourfclf  the  debts 
of  the  partnerfhip,  return  my  father  the  hundred  pounds 
he  has  advanced,  pay  my  little  perfonal  debts,  and  give 
me  thirty  pounds  and  a  new  faddle,  I  will  renounce  the 
partnerfnip,  and  confign  over  the  whole  ftock  to  you." 

I  accepted  this  propofal  without  hefuation.     It  wa? 

committed  to  paper,,  and  figned  and  fealed  without  do 

G  2  lav. 


r   7«    3 

lay.  I  gave  him  what  he  demanded,  and  he  departecf 
foon  after  for  Carolina,  from  whence  he  fent  me,  ia  the 
following  year,  two  long  letters,  containing  the  heft  ac 
counts  that  had  yet  been  given  of  that  country,  as  to  cli 
mate,  foil,  agriculture,  &c.  far  he  was  well  verfed  in 
thefe  matters.  I  publimed  them  Jn  my  newfpaper,  and 
they  were  received  with  great  fadsfaclion. 

As  foon  as  he  was  gone  I  applied  to  my  two  friends, 
and  not  wifhing  to  give  a  difobliging  preference  to  either 
of  them,  I  accepted  from  each  half  what  he  had  offered 
me,  and-  which  it  was  neceflary  I  fhould  have.  I  paid 
the  partnership  debts,  and  continued  the  bufmefs  on  my 
own  account ;  taking  care  to  inform  the  public,  by  ad- 
vertifement,  of  the  partnerfhip  being  diflblved.  This 
was,  I  think,  in  the  year  1729,  or  thereabout. 

Nearly  at  the  fame  period  the  people  demanded  a  new 
emiflion  of  paper  money  ;  the  exilting  and  only  one  that 
had  taken  place  in  the  province,  and  which  amounted  to 
fifteen  thoufand  pounds,  being  foon  to  expire.  The 
wealthy  inhabitants,  prejudiced  againil  every  fort  of  pa 
per  currency,  from  the  fear  of  its  depreciation,  of  which 
there  had  teen  an  inftance  in  the  province  of  New-Eng 
land,  to  the  injury  of  its  holders,  ftrongly  oppofed  the 
meafure.  We  had  difcuffed  this  affair  in  our  junto,  in 
which  I  was  on  the  (ide  of  the  new  emiflion  ;  convinced 
that  the  fjrft  fmall  fum  fabricated  in  1725,  had  done 
much  good  in  the  province,  by  favouring  commerce,  in- 
duftry  and  population,  fince  all  the  houfes  were  uow  in 
habited,  and  many  others  building  ;  whereas  I  remem 
bered  to  have  feen,  when  firft  1  paraded  the  ftreets  of 
Philadelphia  eating  my  roll,  the  majority  of  thofe  in 
Walnut-ftreet,  Second- ft reet,  Fourth- ilreet,  as  well  as  a 
great  number  in  Chefnut  ajid  other  ftreets,  with  papers 
on  them  fignifying  that  they  were  to  be  let ;  which  made 
me  think  at  the  time  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  town 
were  deferting  it  one  after  another. 

Our  debates  made  me  fo  fully  mafter  of  the  fubjec"r.t 
that  I  wrote  and  publiftied  an  anonymous  pamphlet,  en 
titled,  An  Inquiry  into  the  Nature  and  Necefiity  of  a 
Paper  Currency.  It  was  very  well  received  by  the  low 
er 


[       77      ]' 

er  and  middling  clafs  of  people;  but  it  difpleafed  the 
©pulent,  as  it  increafed  the  clamour  in  favour  of  the  new 
emiifion.  Having,,  however,  no  writer  among  them  ca 
pable  of  anfwering  it,  their  oppofition  became  lefs  vio 
lent  ;  and  there  being  in  the  houie  of  Afiembly  a  ma 
jority  for  the  meafure,  it  patted.  The  friends  I  ha"d  ac 
quired  in  the  houfer  perfuaded  that  I  had  done  the  coun 
try  efTential  fervice  on  this  occafion,  rewarded  me  by 
giving  me  the  printing  of  the  bills.  It  was  a  lucrative 
employment,  and  proved  a  very  fcafonable  help  to  me  ; 
another  advantage  which  1  derived  from  having  habitu 
ated  myfelf  to  write. 

Time  and  experience  fo  fully  demonstrated  the  utility 
of  paper  currency,,  that  it  never  after  experienced  any 
confiderable  oppofition;  fo  that  it  foon  amounted  to 
5^,000!.  and  in  the  year  1739  to  8o,oool.  it  has  fince 
rifen,  during  the  laft  war,,  to  3jo,oooL  trade,  buildings 
and  population  having  in  the  interval  continually  in- 
ereafed  ;  but  I  am  now  convinced  that  there  aie  limits 
beyond  which  paper  money  would  be  prejudicial. 

I  foon  after  obtained,  by  the  influence  of  my  friend 
Hamilton,  the  printing  of  the  Newcaftle  paper  money* 
another  profitable  work,  as  I  then  thought  it,  little 
things  appearing  great  to  perfons  of  moderate  fortune  5 
and  they  were  really  great  to  me,  as  proving  great  en 
couragements.  He  alfo  procured  me  the  printing  of  the 
laws  and  votes  of  that  government*,  which  1  retained  as- 
long  as  I  continued  in  the  bufmci's. 

I  now  opened  a  final!  ilationer's  mop.  I  kept  bonds 
and  agreements  of  all  kinds,  drawn  up  in  a  more  accu 
rate  form  than  had  yet  been  feen  in  that  part  of  the 
world  ;  a  work  in  which  I  was  a/lifted  by  my  friend 
Breintnal.  I  had  alfo  paper,  parchment,  pafteboard, 
books,  £c.  One  Whitemarfb,  an  excellent  compofitcr,. 
whom  I  had  known  in  London,  came  to  offer  himfeif. 
I  engaged  him,  and  he  continued  conflantly  and  dili 
gently  to  work  with  me.  1  alfo  took  an  apprentice,  the 
fon  of  Aquila  Rofe. 

I  began  to  pay,  by  degrees,  the  debt  I  had  contract 
ed;  and  in  order  to  infure  my  credit  and  character  as  a 
G  3,  txadefraaiv 


teadefman,  I  took  care  not  only  to  be  realty  induftrious 
and  frugal,  but  alfo  to  avoid  every  appearance  of  the 
contrary.  I  was  plainly  dreffed,  and  never  feen  in  any 
place  of  public  amufement.  I  never  went  a  fifhing  or 
hunting:  a  book  indeed  enticed  me  fometimes  from  my 
work,  bin  it  was  feldorn,  by  Health,  and  occafioned  no 
feandal;  and,  to  fhow  that  i  did  not  think  myfelf  above 
my  profeffion,  I  conveyed  home  fometimes  in  a  wheel 
barrow  the  paper  1  purchafed  at  th"  warehoufes. 
,  I  thus  obtained  the  reputation  of  being  an  indsftrious 
young  man,  and  very  puuclual'in  my  payments.  The 
merchants  who  imported  articles  of  ftationary  folicred 
Hiy  cuftorn ;  others  offered  to  ftirnim  me  with  books, 
and  my  little  trade  went  on  profperoufly. 

Meanwhile  the  credit  and  bufinefs  cf  Keimer  dimin- 
ifhed  every  day  ;  he  was  at  lail  forced  to  fell  his  flock, 
to  fattsfy  his  creditors;  and  he  betook  himfelf  to  Bar- 
badoes,  where  he  lived  fome  time  in  a  very  impoverifned 
ftate.  His  apprentice,  David  Harry,  whom  I  had  in 
structed  \vhile  I  worked  with  Keimer,  having  bought 
his  materials,  fueceeded  him  in  the  bufinefs.  I  was  ap- 
prehenfive  at  firft  of  finding  in  Harry  a  powerful  com 
petitor,  as  he  was  allied  to  an  opulent  and  refpeclable 
family  ;  1  therefore  propofed  a  partnerihip,  which  hap 
pily  for  me,  he  rejected  with  difdain.  He  was  extreme 
ly  proud,  thought  himfelf  a  fine  gentleman,  lived  exTav- 
agaivly,  and  purfued  amufements  which  fuffcred  him  to 
be  fcarcely  ever  at  home  ;  of  confequenee  he  became  in 
<)eb.t,  neglecled  his  bufinefs,  and  bufmefs  neglected  him. 
Finding  in  a  fhort  time  nothing  to  be  done  in  the  coun 
try,  he  followed  Keimer  to  Barbadoes,  carrying  hi3 
printing  materials  with  htra.  There  the  apprtnrice  em 
ployed  his  old  mafter  as  a  journeyman.  They  were  con 
tinually  quarrelling;  and  Harry,  Mill  getting  in  debt, 
was  obliged  at  laft  to  fell  his  prjfs  and  types,  and  return 
to  his  old  occupation  of  hufoandry  in  Pennfylvania. 
The  perfon  who  purchafed  them  employed  Keimer  to 
raannge  the  bufinefs:  but  he  died  a  few  years  after. 

I  had  now  at  Philadelphia  no  competitor  but  Brad 
ford,  who,  being  in.er.fy  circomftances,  did  hot  engage 

m 


[      79      1 

in  the  printing  of  books,  except  now  and  then  as  work 
men  c'>a  ced  to  offer  themfehes ;  and  was  not  anxious 
to  extend  his  trade.  He  bad,  however,  one  advantage  o- 
ver  me,  as  he  had  the  direction  of  the  poft-office,  and 
was  of  confequence  fuppofed  to  have  better  opportunities 
of  obtaining  news.  His  paper  was  alfo  fuppofed  to  be 
more  advantageous  to  advertising  cuftomers ;  and,  in 
confequence  of  that  {uppofiti^n,  his  advertifements  wers 
much  more  numerous  than  mine  :  this  was  a  fource  pf 
great  profit  to  him,  and  difadvanrngeous  to  me.  It  was 
to  no  purpofe  thar  I  really  procured  other  papers,  and 
diftributed  my  own,  by  means  of  the  port  ;  the  public 
took,  f  .r  granted, my  inability  in  this  refpeft  ;  and  1  was 
indeed  unable  to  conquer  it  in  any  other  mode  th^n  by 
bribing  the  poil-bovs,  who  ferved  me  only  by  Health, 
Bradford  being  fo  ii.iberal' as  to  forbid  them.  This 
treatment  of  his,  excited  mv  rcfenfment;  and  my  difguft 
was  fo  rooted,  thar,  when  I  aferua/ds  fucceedtd  him  in 
the  poft-office,  I  took  care  to  avoid  copying  his  example, 
1  had  hitherto  continued  to  i>  >ard  with  Godfrey,  who, 
with  his  wife  and  children,  occupied  part  of  my  houfe, 
and  half  of  the  (hop  fur  his  bufuufs  ;  at  which  indeed  he 
worked  very  little,  being  al-.vays  a.iforned  by  mathemat 
ics.  Mrs.  Godfrey  formed  a  wifh  of  marrying  me  to 
the  daughter  of  one  of  her  relations.  She  connived  va 
rious  opportunities  of  bringing  us  toge;her,  till  .(he  fa\v 
that  I  was  captivated  ;  which  was  not  difficult,  the  lady 
in  queftion  pofleffing  great  perfonal  merir.  The  parents 
encouraged  my  addrefles,  by  inviting  me  continually  to 
{upper,  and  leaving  us  together,  till  at  laft  it  was  time 
to  come  to  an  explanation.  Mrs  Godfrey  undertook 
to  negociate  our  little  treaty.  I  ga\  e  her  to  un Jerf'asd, 
that  i  expected  to  receive  with  the  young  lady  a  fu;n  of 
money  that  would  enable  me  at  leail  to  difcliarge  the 
remainder  of  my  debt  for  my  printing  maieriala.  It 
was  then,  I  believe,  not  more  than  a  hun  .'red  pounds. 
She  brought  me  f -r  anfwer,  that  they  had  no  fueh  furn 
at  their  difpofal.  I  obferved  that  it  mi^ht  eafily  be  ob 
tained,  by  a  mortgage  on  tSeir  h  >uft.  The  reply  of 
this  was,  after  a  few  days  interval,  that  ihey  did  not  ap 
prove 


f      So      ] 

prove,  of  the  match  ;  that  they  had  confulted  Bradford, 
and  found  that  the  huiinefs  of  a  printer  was  not  lucra 
tive  ;  that  my  letters  would  focn  be  worn  out,  and  mufl 
be  fupplied  by  new  ones;  that  Keimer  and  Harry  had 
failed,  and  that,  probably,  I  mould  do  fo  too.  Accord 
ingly  they  forbade  me  the  houfe,  and  the  young  lady 
was  confined.  I  know  not  if  they  .had  really  changed 
their  minds,  or  if  it  was  merely  an  artifice,  fuppoiing 
our  affections  to  be  too  far  engaged  for  us  to  defiit,  and 
that  we  fhould  contrive  to  marry  fecretly,  which  would 
leave  them  at  liberty  to  give  or  not,  as  they  pleafed. 
But,  fufpecling  this  motive,  I  never  went  again  :o  their 
houfe. 

Some  time  after  Mrs.  Godfrey  informed  me  that  they 
were  favourably  difpofed  towards  me,  and  \vilhed  me  to 
renew  the  acquaintance;,  but  I  declared  a  firm  refolution 
never  to  have  any  thing  more  to  do  with  the  fanvi' y. 
The  Godfreys  expreifed  fome  refentment  at  this-;  and, 
as  we  could  no  longer  agree,  they  changed  their  refi- 
denee,  leaving  me  in  pofleffion  of  the  whole  houfe.  I 
then  refolved  to  take  no  more  lodgers.  This  affair  hav 
ing  turned  my  thoughts  to  marriage,  I  looked  around 
me,  and  made  overtures  of  alliance  in  other  quarters  ; 
but  I  foon  found  that  the  profeffion  of  a  printer  being 
generally  looked  upon  as  a  poor  trade,  I  could  expect  no 
money  with  a  wife,  at  leaft  if  I  wiflied  her. to  pofltfs  any- 
other  charm.  Meanwhile,  that  pafiion  of  youth,  fo  dif 
ficult  to  govern,  had  often  drawn  me  into  intrigues  with 
defpicable  women  who  fell  in  my  way  ;  which  were  not 
unaccompanied  with  expence  and  inconvehience,  bcfides 
the  perpetual  riik  of  injuring  my  health,  and  catching  a. 
difeafe  which  I  dreaded  above  all  things.  But  I  was 
fortunate  enough  to  efcape  this  danger. 

As  a  neighbour  and  old  acquaintance,  I  kept  up  a 
friendly  intimacy  with  the  famify  of  Mifs  Read.  Her 
parents  had  retained  an  affection  for  me  from  the  time  of 
my  lodging  in  their  houfe.  I  was  often  invited  thither  ; 
they  confulted  me  about  their  affairs,  and  I  had  been 
fometimes  ferviceable  to  them.  I  was  touched  with  the 
unhappy  fituation  of  their  daughter,  who  was  aloioft  al 
ways. 


ways  melancholy,  and  continually  feeking  folitude.  I 
regarded  my  forgetfulnefs  and  inconftancy,  during  my 
abode  in  London,  as  the  principal  caufe  of  her  misfor 
tune  ;  though  her  mother  had  the  candour  to  attribute 
the  fault  to  herfelf,  rather  than  to  me,  becaufe,  after 
having  prevented  our  marriage  previous  to  my  departure, 
(lie  had  induced  her  to  marry  another  in  my  abfence. 

Our  mutual  affeftion  revived  ;  but  there  exifted  great 
obftacles  to  our  union.  Her  marriage  was  confidered,  in 
deed,  as  not  being  valid,  the  man  having,  it  was  faid,  a 
former  wife  ftill  living  in  England  ;  but  of  this  it  was 
difficult  to  obtain  a  proof  at  fo  great  a  diftance ;  and 
though  a  report  prevailed  of  his  being  dead,  yet  we  had 
no  certainty  of  it ;  and  fuppofing  it  to  be  truej  he  had 
left  many  debts,  for  the  payment  of  which,  his  fucceiTor 
might  be  fued.  We  ventured  neverthelefs,  in  fpite  of 
all  thefe  difficulties,  and  I  married  her  on  the  firft  of 
September,  1730.  None  of  the  inconveniences  we  had 
feared,  happened  to  us — She  proved  to  me  a  good  and 
faithful  companion,  and  contributed  eflentially  to  the 
fuccefs  of  my  (hop,  We  profpered  together,  and  it  was 
our  mutual  ftudy  to  render  each  other  happy.  Thus  I 
corrected,  as  well  as  I  coald,  this  great  error  of  my 
youth. 

Our  club  was  not  at  that  time  eftablifhed  at  a  tavern* 
We  held  our  meetings  at  the  houfe  of  Mr.  Grace,  wha 
appropriated  a  room  to  the  purpofe.  Some  member  ob- 
ferved  one  day,  that  as  our  books  were  frequently  quot* 
ed  in  the  courfe  of  our  difcufiiqns,  it  would  be  convenient 
to  have  them  collected  in  the  room  in  whioh  we  afiem- 
bled,  in  order  to  be  confulted  upon  occafion ;  and  that, 
by  thus  forming  a  common  library  of  our  individual  col- 
leclions,  each  would  have  the  advantage  of  ufmg  the 
books  of  all  the  other  members,  which  would  nearly  be 
the  fame  as  if  he  poifcSed  them  all  himfelf.  The  idea 
was  approved,  and  vre ''accordingly  brought  fuch  books 
as  we  could  fpare,  which  we  placed  at  the  end  of  the 
club- room.  They  amounted  not  to  fo  many  as  we  ex- 
peeled  ;  and  though  we  made  confiderable  ufe  of  them, 
yet  fome  inconveniences  refuking,  from  want  of  care,  it 

was 


was  agreed,  after  about  a  year,  to  deflroy  the  collection  ; 
and  each  took  away  fuch  books  as  belonged  to  him. 

It  was  now  that  I  full  ftartcd  the  idea  of  eilabli  thing, 
by  fubfcription,  a  public  library.  I  drew  up  the  propo- 
fals,  had  them  engrofled  in  form  by  Brodcden  the  attor 
ney,  and  my  project  fucceeded,  as  will  be  feen  in  the 
fequel  ************** 

[The  life  of  Dr.  Franklin,  as  written  by  himfelf,  fo 
far  as  it  has  yet  been  communicated  to  the  world,  breaks 
off  in  this  place.  We  underftand  that  it  was  continued 
by  him  fomewhat  further,  and  we  hope  that  the  remain* 
der  will,  at  fome  future  period,  be  communicated  to  the 
public.  We  have  no  hefitation  in  fuppoiing  that  every 
reader  will  find  himfelf  greatly  interefted  by  the  frank 
fimplicity  and  the  philofophical  difcernrnent  by  which 
thefe  pages  are  fo  eminently  charafterifed.  We  have 
therefore  thought  proper,  in  order  as  much  as  poffible  to 
relieve  his  regret,  to  fubjoin  the  following  continuation, 
by  one  of  the  dodor's  intimate  friends.  It  is  extracted 
from  an  American  periodical  publication,  and  was  writ 
ten  by  the  late  Dr.  Stuber*  of  Philadelphia.  J 

*  Dr.  Stuber  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  of  German  parents. 
He  was  fent  at  an  early  age  to  theuniverfity?  where  his  geniust 
diligence  and  amiable  temper,  foon  acquired  him  the  particular 
notice  and  favour  of  thofe  under  whole  immediate  direction  he 
was  placed.  After  palling  through  the  common  courfe  of  ftudy, 
in  a  much  (horter  time  than  ulual,  he  left  the  univerfity,  at  ths 
age  of  fixteen,  with  great  reputation.  Not  long  after,  he  enter 
ed  on  the  ftudy  of  phyfic  ;  and  the  zeal  with  which  he  purfued 
it,  and  the  advances  he  made,  gave  his  friends  reafors  to  form 
the  moft  flattering  profpeds  of  his  future  eminence  and  uleful- 
nefs  in  the  profeffion.  As  Dr.  Stuber's  circumftanceswere  very 
anoderate>  he  did  not  think  this  puriuit  well  calculated  to  anf- 
r/er  them.  He  therefore  relinquiihe/J  it  after  he  had  obtained 
a  degree  in  the  profeffion,  and  qualified i:Jiimielf  to  praclife  with 
credit  and  fuccefs  :  and  irninediately^chtered  on  the  Itudy  of 
Uw.-v  In  purfuit  of  the  laft  mentioned  objedt,  he  was  prema 
turely  arrefted,  before  he  had  an  opportunity  of  reaping  the  fruit 
of  thofe  talents  with  which  he  was  endowed*  and  of  a  youth 
ipent  in  the  ardent  and  fucse£sful  purfuit  of  ufeful  and  elegant 
literature. 

TllE 


r 


THE  promotion  of  literature  had  been  little  attended 
to  in  Pennfy  Ivania.  Moft  of  the  inhabitants  were 
too  much  immerfed  in  bufinefs  to  think  of  fcientific 
purfuits  ;  and  thofe  few  whole  inclinations  led  them  to 
Itudy,  found  it  difficult  to  gratify  them,  from  the  want 
of  fufficiently  large  libraries.  In  fuch  circnmftances 
the  eftablimment  of  a  public  library  was  an  important 
event.  This  was  firft  fet  on  foot  by  Franklin,  about  the 
year  1731.  Fifty  perfons  fubfcribed  forty  millings 
each,  and  agreed  to  pay  ten  {hillings  annually.  The 
number  increafed  ;  and,  in  1742,  the  company  was  in 
corporated  by  the  name  of  "  The  Library  Company  of 
Philadelphia*"  Several  other  companies  were  formed  in 
this  city  in  imitation  of  it.  Thefe  were  all  at  lengdi 
united  with  the  library  company  of  Philadelphia,  which 
thus  received  a  confiderable  acceffion  of  books  and  prop 
erty.  It  now  contains  about  eight  thonfand  volume's  on 
all  fubjefts,  a  philofophical  apparatus,  and  a  good  be 
ginning  towards  a  colleclion  of  natural  and  artificial  cu- 
riofities,  befides  landed  property  of  confiderable  value. 
The  company  have  lately  built  an  elegant  houfe  in 
Fifth- flreet,  in  the  front  of  which  is  erecled  a  marble 
ilatue  of  their  founder,  Benjamin  Franklin. 

This  inftitution  was  greatly  encouraged  by  the  friends 
of  literature  in  America  and  in  Great- Britain.  The 
Penn  family  diftinguimed  themfelves  by  their  donations. 
Amongft  the  earlicft  friends  of  this  inilitution  mud  be 
mentioned  the  late  Peter  ColHnfon,  the  friend  and  cor- 
refpondent  of  Dr.  Franklin.  He  net  only  made  con- 
fiderable  prefents  himfelf,  and  obtained  others  from  his 
friends,  but  voluntarily  undertook  to  manage  the  bufi 
nefs  of  the  company  in  London,  recommending  books, 
purchafmg  and  fhipping  them.  His  extcnfive  knowledge, 
and  zeal  tor  the  promotion  of  fcience,  enabled  him  to 
execute  this  important  truft  with  the  greateft  advantage. 
He  continued  to  perform  thefe  fervices  for  more  than 
thirty  years,  and  uniformly  refufed  to  accept  of  any 
compenfation.  During  this  time,  he  communicated  to 
•the  directors  every  information  relative  to  improve 
ments 


I    84    ] 

rnents  and  discoveries  in  the  arts,  agriculture  and  pht- 
lofophy. 

The  beneficial  influence  of  the  inftitution  was  foon 
evident.  The  cheapnefs  of  terms  rendered  it  accefiible 
to  every  one.  Its  advantages  were  not  confined  to  the 
opufenr.  The  citizens  in  the  middle  and  the  lower 
walks  of  life  were  equally  partakers  of  them.  Hence  a 
degree  of  information  extended  amongft  all  c-lalfes  <pi 
^people,  which  is  very  unufual  in  other  places.  The  ex 
ample  was  foon  followed.  Libraries  were  eftablifhed 
in  various  pl.ices,  and  they  are  now  become  very  nume 
rous  in  the  United  States,  and  particularly  in  Permfyl- 
vania.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  will  be  ftili  more 
widely  extended,  and  that  information  will  be  every 
where  increafed.  This  will  be  the  bed  fecurity  for 
maintaining  our  liberties.  A  nation  of  well-informed 
men,  who  have  been  taught  to  know  and  prize  the  rights 
which  God  has  given  them,  cannot  be  enilaved.  It  is  in 
the  regions  of  ignorance  that  tyranny  reigns.  It  flies 
before  the  light  of  fcience.  Ler  the  citizens  of  America, 
then,  encourage  inltifutions  calculated  to  diffufe  knowl 
edge  amongft  the  people  ;  and  amongft  thefe,  public  li 
braries  are  not  the  leaft  important. 

Jn  1732,  Franklin  began  to  publiik  Poor  Richard's 
Almanac.  This  was  remarkable  for  the  numerous  and 
•valuable  concife  maxims  which  it  contained,  all  tending 
to  exhort  to  induftry  and  frugality.  It  was  continued 
for  many  years.  In  the  almanac  for  the  laft  year,  all 
the  maxims  were  collected  in  an-  addrefs  te  the  reader, 
entitled,  The  Way  to  Wealth.  This  has  been  tranflated 
into  various  languages,  and  inferted  in  different  publica 
tions.  It  has  alfo  been  printed  on  a  large  meet,  and 
may  be  feen  framed  in  thiscitjr.  This  addrefs  contains, 
perhaps,  the  beft  prnftical  fyftetrr  of  economy  that  ever 
has  appeared.  It  is  written  in  a  manner  intelligible  to 
every  one,  and  which  cannot  fail  of  convincing  every 
reader  of  the  juftice  and  propriety  of  the  remarks  and 
advice  which  it  contains.  The  demand  for  this  alma 
nac  was  fo  great,  that  ten  thoufand  have  been  fold  i:\ 
one  year;  which  mull  be  considered  as  a  very  large 

number. 


I   85   ] 

hutf>b£r?  f/pscialfy  when  we  reflecl,  that  this  country 
was  at  that  time  but  thinly  peopled.  It  cannot  be 
tteabted,  that  the  falutary  maxims  contained  in  thefe 
almanacs  muft  have  made  a  favourable  impreffion  upon 
many  of  the  readers  of  them. 

Jr  was  not  long  before  Franklin  entered  upon  h*s 
political  career.  ]n  the  year  1736  he  was  appointed 
clerk  to  the  general  ?ffembly  of  Pennfylvahia  ;  and  was 
re-elefted  by  fucceeding  affemblies  for  feveral  years,  un 
til  he  was  chofen  a  reprefentative  for  the  city  of  Phila 
delphia. 

Bradford  was  poflefled  of  fome  advantages  over  Frank 
lin,  by  being  poft-mafter,  thereby  having  an  opportunity 
of  circulating  his  paper  more  extenfively,  and  thus  ren 
dering  it  a  better  vehicle  for  ad verti foments,  &c.  Frank 
lin,  in  his  tu*n,  enjoyed  theft  advantages,  by  being  ap 
pointed  poft-mafter  of  Philadelphia  in  1737.  Bradford, 
while  in  office,  had  afted  ungeneronfly  towards  Frank 
lin,  preventing  as  much  as  poffible  the  circulation  of  his 
paper,  fie  had  now  an  opportunity  of  retaliating  j  but 
his  noblenefs  of  foul  prevented  him  from  making  ufc 
of  it. 

The  police  of  Philadelphia  had  early  appointed  watch 
men,  whofe  duty  it  was  to  guard  the  citizens  againft 
the  midnight  robber,  and  to  give  an  immediate  alarm  in 
cafe  of  fire.  This  duty  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  moil  im 
portant  that  can  be  committed  to  any  fet  of  men.  The 
regulations,  however,  v/ere  not  fufHciently  ItricL  Frank 
lin  faw  the  clangers  arifing  from  this  caufe,  and  fuggeiled 
an  alteration,  fo  as  to  oblige  the  guardians  of  the  night 
to  be  more  watchful  over  the  lives  and  property  cf  the 
citizens.  The  propriety  of  this  was  immediately  per 
ceived,  and  a  reform  was  effected. 

There  is  nothing  more  dangerous  to  growing  cities, 
than  fires.  Other  caufes  operate  /lowly,  and  almoft  im 
perceptibly;  but  thefe  in  a  moment  render  abortive  the 
labours  of  ages.  On  this  account  there  fliould  be,  in  all 
cities,  ample  provifions  to  prevent  fires  from  fpreaeling* 
Fnnklin  early  faw  the  neceffity  of  thefe  ;  and,  about 
the  year  1738,  formed  the  firli  lire-company  in  this  city. 

a  This 


L       86      ] 

•xsrnple  was  fcon  followed  by  others  ;  arcl  there 
;ire  now  numerous  fire-companies  in  the  city  and  liber 
ties.  To  thefe  may  be  attributed  In  a  great  degree  the 
activity  in  oxtinguiihing  fires,  for  which  the  citizens  ot 
Philadelphia  are  difdnguifned,  and  the  inccnuderable 
damage  which  ihis  city  has  faftained  from  this  caafe. — 
Some  time  after,  Franklin  fuggefted  the  plan  of  an  afib- 
ciation  for  infuring  houfesirom  loiTes  by  fire,  which  was 
adopted  ;  and  theaiTociation  continues  to  this  day.  The 
advantages  experienced  from  it  have  been  great. 

From  the  firfl  cftablifnment  of  Pennsylvania,  a  fpirit 
of  difpute  appears  to  have  prevailed  amongft  its  inhabi 
tants.  During  the  life-time  of  William  Penn,  the  con- 
ill  tution  had  been  three  times  altered.  Afrer  this  period, 
the  hiilory  of  Pennsylvania  is  little  elte  than  a  recital  of 
the  quarrels  between  the  proprietaries,  or  their  gover 
nors,  and  the  afTembly. ,  The  proprietaries  contended 
for  the  right  of  exempting  their  land  from  taxes ;  to 
which  the  atTcmbly  would  by  no  means  confent.  Tins 
fubject  of  difpute  interfered  in  almoft  every  queftion, 
and  prevented  che  mod  falutary  laws  from  being  enacled . 
'This  at  times  fubje&ed  the  people  to  great  inconvenien 
ces.  In  the  year  1744,  during  a  war  between  Francs 
and  Great-Britain,  fome  French  and  Indians  had  made 
inroads  upon  $he  frontier  inhabitants  of  the  province, 
who  were  unprovided  for  fuch  an  attack.  It  became 
neceilary  that  the  citizens  fhould  arm  for  rheir  defence. 
Governor  Thomas  recommended  to  the  afierably,  who 
v/ere  then  fitting,  to  pafs  a  militia  law.  To  this  they 
would  agree  only  upon  condition  that  he  fhouid  give  his 
ai&nt  to  certain  laws,  which  appeared  to  them  calculated 
to  promote  the  intereit  of  the  people.  As  he  thought 

would  be  injurious  to  tha  proprietaries,  he  re- 
his  afletir.  to  them  ;    and  the  a  {Terribly  broke  up 
a  militia  law.     The  fmiation  of  the  pro 
vince  wss  at  thiii  time  truly  alarming  :  expofed  to  the 
continual  inroads  of  an  enemy,  and  deftitute  of  every 
,-.      At  this  crifis,  Franklin  ftepped  fort'.-. 

fed  M)  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  o'  Philadel 
phia,  a  pi  a: 


ovince.  This  was  approved  of,  and  i:g: 
twelve  hundred  perfons  immediately.  Copies  o*  it  were 
circulated  throughout  the  province  ;  and  in  a  fliort  tfme 
the  number  of  figners  amounted  to  ten  thouiand.  i1  rank- 
Hn  was  chofen  colonel  of  the  Philadelphia  regiment ;  but 
he  did  not  think  proper  to  accept  of  the  honour. 

Parfaits  of  a  different  nature  now  occupied  the  great - 
cil  part  of  his  attention  for  fome  years.  He  engaged  in 
a  courfe  of  electrical  experiments,  with  all  the  ardour  and 
thirft  for  ciifcovery  which  characterized  the  philoiophers 
of  that  day.  Of  all  the  branches  of  experimental  philo- 
fophy,  electricity  had  been  leal*  explored.  The  attractive 
po\ver  of  r.mberis  mentioned  by  Theophraftus  and  Pliny, 
and,  from  them,  by  later  naturalifts.  In  the  year  1600, 
Gilhm,  an  Englifh  phynciari,  enlarged  considerably  she 
catalogue  of  fubilances  which  have  the  property  of  a«- 

g -light  bodies.  Boyle,  Otto  Guericke,  a  bargo- 
mafter  of  Magdeburgh,  celebrated  as  the  invento? 
air  pamp,  Dr,  Wall,  and  Sir  Ifaic  Newton,  aJiled  forne 
fads.  Guericke  firft  obfervcd  the  repulfrvc  poV.cr  of 
fle&ricity,  and  the  light  and  noUe  produced  by  i'..  In 
1709,  Hawkefbcc  corunuifiicated  forne  important  ohicr- 
vatir»ns  and  experiments  to  the  world.  For  fevera-1  years, 
icily  was  entirely  neglected,  until  Mr.  Gray  applicl 
Ir-rr-ieif  to  ir,  in  1728,  with  groat  afiiduity.  He,  and  Ms 
frit- iid  Mr.  Wheeler,  m.'vic  a  great  variety  of  experi'. 
ja  xvhich  they  demonftrared,  that  ele^trieiiy  may  be 
rrmiTTiunicated  from  one  body  to  another,  even  without 

in  contad,  and  in  this  way  may  be  conducted  to  a 
jreat  diilance.  Mr.  Gray  afterwards  found,  that  by 
.Oifpending  rods  of  iron  by  filk  or  hair  lines,  and  bring 
ing  an  exci;ed  tr.be  under  them,  fparks  might  be  drawn, 

•  ght  perceived  at  the  extremities  in  the  dark.     M 
Du  Faye,  hi  tend  ant  of  the  French  king's  gardens, 
:\  !;ii:nbi.jr  of  experiments,  which  added  not  a  little  to  t  )••.•• 
fcience.     He  made  the  difcovery  of  two  kinds  of  eU-v 
rricity,  which  he  called  vitreous  and  rejinotts ;   the  fonr.c,- 
prodnced  by  rubbing  glafs,  the  latter  from  excited  fnl- 
phur,  fealing-wax,  &c.     But   this  idea   he  aftfcrwanls 
V;, >v;  Up  as  enoneous,    Between  the  years'  1739  and  1 742, 
H  2  Defaguiiers 


Defaguliers  made  a  number  of  experiments,  but  addr/i 
little  of  importance.  He  firft  mod  the  arms  cwdutlc.',* 
and  efedrics.  per  fe.  In  1742,  feveral  ingenious  Ger 
mans  engaged  in  this  fubject.  Of  thefe  the  principal 
were^profeiTor  Boze  of  Wittemberg,  prefcifor  Wink'ler 
of  Leipfic,  Gordon,  a  Scotch  Benedictine  monk,  pro- 
feflbr  of  philofophy  at  Erfurt,  and  Dr.  Ludolf  of  Berlin, 
The  refult  of  their  refearches  aftonifhed  the  phHofophers 
cf  Europe.  Their  apparatus  was  large,  and  by  means 
of  it  they  were  enabled  to  coilecl  large  quantities  of 
electricity,  and  thus  to  produce  phenomena  which  hud 
been  hitherto  unobferved.  They  killed  final!  birds, 
and. fet  fpirits  on  fue.  Their  experiments  excited  the 
curiofity  of  other  philofophers.  Collinfon,  about  the 
year  1745,  *~ent  to  ^e  library  company  of  Pkiladelphia 
an  account  cf  thefe  experiments,  together  with  a  tube, 
and  directions  how  to  ufe  it.  Franklin,  whh  forne  of 
his  friends,  immediately  engaged  in  a  courfe  of  experi- 
mrnt  ;  the  refult  of  which  is  well  known.  He  was 
enabled  to  make  a  number  of  important  difcovcries,  and 
to  propofc  theories  to  account  for  various  phenomena  ; 
Kh:.:h  have  been  univeifally  adopted,  and  which  bid  fait 
to  endure  for  ages.  His  obfervation-s  he  communica'ed, 
in  a  feries  of  letters,  to  his  friend  Collinfon  ;  the  firft  of 
which  is  dated  March  28,  1747.  In  thefe  he  makes 
known  the  power  of  points  in  drawing  and  throwing  off 
the  electrical  matter,  which  had  hitherto  efcaped  the  no 
tice  of  electricians.  He  nlfo  made  the  grand  difcovery 
of  z  plus  arid  minus,  or  of  a  pajitive  and  negative  ftaie 
of  eleftricity.  We  give  him  the  honour  of  this,  without 
hefiratioh  ;  aiihouou  trie  Engliili  have  claimed  it  for 
their  counrryrrian  Dr.  Watfon.  Watfon's  paper  is  dai- 
cd  January  21,  174^;  Franklin's,  July  ri,  I747>  feve 
ral  months  prior.  Shortly  after,  Franklin,  from  his 
principles  cf  plus  and  av.iius  irate,  exphiined,  in  a  fatis- 
ia;:ipiy  manner,  the  phcnor.iena  of  the  I.eydci  phial, 
f.rft  'obftt-vcd  by  profc-ilbr  rvluichcnbronck  of  Leytlem, 
wjiich  hal  muck  perplexed  philofjuhers.  He  (hewed 
Clearly  that  the  bo'tie,  when  charged,  contained  no  more 
electricity  than  L  tt  as  much  wai  taken  from 


tV  one  fu?e  as  \vss  thrown  on  the  other;    and  thity  to 
difeharge  it,  nothing  was  necefikry  but  to  make  a  c'd.rfY- 
mcnica-'ion  tefween  the  two  (ides,    by  which   the  equi 
librium  rnisjht  be    reltcred,    and    that    then   no  figns  cf 
declricity  would  remain.      He  afterwards  dcn^nfinued, 
by  experiments,  that  the  electricity  did  not  rdiJe  in' the 
costing,    as  had  been  fuppofed,-  bat  in  the  porf- 
glais  itfelf.      After  a  phial  w^s  charged,  l\-:- 
c-?atif)<T,    and -foil nd  that  upon  applying  a  ne;v   coafi 
the  (hock  irii-lu  Hill  be  received.     Jn  . 
firft  fugaeftui  his  ii'sja  of* explaining  the  phenomena  of 
thunder-£uib:,  and  of  the  aurora  bo'realis,    iirori  tl-.j^ri« 
cal  principles,     He  points  out  many  particulars  in  which 
.Vi^htmng  and  eieckicity  agree;  a.id  he  adduces  many 
faits,  at»d  resff-rini;  i'rom  t'ac'h,  in  fnpport  of  his-  pofi- 
tions.     In  ihe  fame  year  he  conceived  the  ailonifhirsgly 
bold  and  grand  Id? a  of  afcef  taining  the  truth  of  his  doc 
trine,  by  actually  drawing  down  the  forked  lightning, 
Vv  nvx1"."  of  fhrup  poin'e  i  iron  rods  raifcd  into  the  re- 
i  ton  cl   <l]p.  ci-.n-i",     E\e-i   in  this  uncertain  iLue,    Iu3 
paffion  10  !jij  ufeful  to  mankind  difplays  itfelf  in  a  pow 
erful  manner.     Admitting  the  identity  cf  elct'iriciry  and 
lightning,  ano  knowing  the  power  of  points  in  repelling 
bodies  charged  with'  electricity,  and  in  conducting  their 
fire'filentl/  and  imperceptibly,  he  ftiggefts  the  idea  of 
fecurin5>    hoafes,    ihips,   &c.    from  being   damaged    by 
lightning,    by    eroding    the    pointed    iron  rods,    which 
ihoiild  rife  fome  feet  above  the  me  ft  eleva-ed  parr,  and 
ccfce;  d  fome  fret  into  the  gn  nr.d  or  uT/.t-r.      The  cffcft 
of  theie,  he  cc>nc!i;ded,     \v  .uid  be  eiihrr  to  prevent  a 
ilroke  by  repeflinV  the  cloud  beyond  the  (Inking  difiance, 
or  by  drawing  off  the  elec^rrcal  fire  which  ir  contained  ; 
or,  if  they  could  not  effcd  this,  they  wcuK)  ar  Jeyft  con 
duit  the  ftrokc  to  the  earth,  wi.houi  any  injury  to  ihc 
building. 

It  was  not  until  the  fummer  of  175-2,  *har  he  was  en- 
sbled  to  complete  his  grand  and  unparelieled  difcbvei 

•  vperi;iient.      The  plan  winch  he  had  qri^lnally  pro- 
poud,  was  to  er::rt  on  f  >me  high  to^er,  01  Qtber  cfc  ?.t' 
a  ctni ry  box,  frbm'whicfi  ihould  .    OIK- 


•  .  •. ..  ;  •    :?e*ng  f. xeu  in  a  c^k/:  ci  t 

jbleclnned  clouds,  paffingover  uiis,  would,  he  conceived, 
impart  t(»  it  a  portion  of  their  electricity,  which  vvculu 
DC  reucl?:;:;!  evident  '.o  the  fen  ft:?  l.-y  fparks  being  en»iz* 
ioil,  when  a  he}-,  a  knuchb  or  other  c^nduvitor,  was  -pre* 
Rented  te?  ir.  jPhiUjeiplua  ;.t  t'-is  tir.:e  afforded  no  op 
portunity  of  trying  aa  experiment  of  this  kind.  Whilifc 
jjranklin  was  waiting  for  the  erection  of  a  fpire,  ir  oc 
curred  to  him,  that  he  might  h;;ve  more  ready  j'.ccefs  to 
i|ic  region  of  clouds  by  me;.inc  <•  •.  nion  kite.  He 

prepared  one  by  attaching  two  .  ',,:=  to  a  fill;  hand 

kerchief,  which  would  not  furfor  fq      •    •'.  i-'i.m' die  rain 
T.      To  his  upright  fcick  •  J  an  itca  poiar. 

The  ihl.-,sj  \vas,  as  ufual,  of  hen,;  ,  e.XCfj  "lowcc 

end,  which  was  fiik.  Where;  the  hen: pen  i^ring  termi 
nated,  a  iiey  was  faftened.  ^Vidi  this  apparatus,  on  the 
Appearance  of  a  thunder -guft  approaching,  he  wcr.t  cut 
into  t he  commons,  accompanied  by  his  fon,  to  \vhom. 
alone  he  commuFiicaicd  his  intentionSj  ^-cli  kfiojving  the 
ridicule  which,  too  generally  for  the  inrcreil  of  fcience, 
awaits  unfucccfsrui  experiments  in  philofophy.  He 
placed  himfeif  u;Kkr  a  fhcd,  ro  avoid  the  rain.  His  kite 
was  laifed.  A  thunder-cloud  palled  over  it.  Nofipi 
of  elecliicity  appeared.  He  alir.vft  defpaired  of  fuccefsj 
when  fuddenly  he  obferved  the  Icofe  fibres  of  his  firing 
to  move  towards  an  erecl  pofition.  He  now  prefcnteti 
his  knuckle  to  the  key,  and  received  a  ilrong  fpark. 
Ijjvv  cxc]ui.(ite  m u ft  Iiis  fenfarions  have  been  at  this  mo 
ment !  Or,  this  experiment  depended  ;he  fate  of  h?s 
theory.  If  he  foccceded,  his  nsrae  would  rank  high 
imong  thofe  vvho  have  improved  fcience;  if  he  faiied4. 
he  rauft  be  inevitably  fubjected  to  the-  dcriilcn  of  man 
kind,  or,  whai  is  worfe,  their  pity,  aj>  a  weH-meanin^ 
man,  but  a  weak,  filly  projetior.  The  anxiety  \vith 
which  he  looked  fjr  ;he  refult  of  his  experiment,  may 
ciifav  be  conceited.  Doubts  and  dcfpair  h^d  began  to 
prevail,  when  the  iu3  \va-  »fcertai«,ed  ir.  fo  clear  a  man 
ner,  that  even  -the  nioft  incredulous  could  no  1  nger' 
Id  their  afienf.  Repeated  {parks  were  drawn 
"^  uey  :  a  phial  ws.5  charg'.xl-.,  a  fcock  given,  ?nd 


I       9'       } 

*U  the  exptnencnumaJc,   which  arc  ufually  performed 
Kith  eheclricity. 

About  a  month  before  thb  period,  fonic  ingenious 
Frenchmen  had  completed  the  difccvery,  in  the  manner 
originally  proposed  by  Dr.  Franklin.  The  letters 
which  he  fent  to  Mr.  Coliiafon,  it  is  faid,  v/ere  refufed 
a  place  amongft  the  papers  of  the  R.oyal  Society  of  Lon 
don.  However  thk  may  be,  Coilinfon  publilhed  them 
in  a  feparare  volume,  u'u;er  the  title  of  Neiv  Experiments 
and  Ohfer-t'athns  on  Eleftricity,  made  at  Philadelphia  /'* 
America.  They  were  read  with  avidity,  and  Coon  tranf- 
lated  into  different  languages,  A  very  in  cor  reel  French 
trarsilarion  fell  into  the  hand?  of  the- celebrated  Buffbn, 
who,  notwirhilanding  the  tfifa'd vantages  under  which  the 
work  laboured,  was  much  plea  fed  with  it,  and  repeated  the 
experiments  with  fuccefs.  He  prevailed  upon  his  friend, 
M.  D'Alibard,  to  give  his  countrymen  a  more  correct 
tranflation  of  the  work  of  the  American  electrician.  This 
contributed  towards  fpreadine  a  knowledge  of  Franklin's 
principles  in  France.  The  King,  Louis  XV.  hearing 
of  thcfe  experiments,  exprefu-d  a  wifh  to  be  a  fpeclator 
of  them,  A  ccurfe  of  experiments  was  given  at  the  feat 
of  the  Due  D'A^cn,  at  Sr.  Germain,  by  M.  De  Lor. 
The  applau.fes  which  the  King  beftowcd  upon  Franklin, 
excited  in  Buftbn,  D1  Alibard,  and  De  Lor,  an  earneit 
defite  of  afcertaining  the  truiVj  of  his  theory  of  thunder- 
guilf.  BnfFon  erected  his  apparatus  on  the  tower  of 
Montbar,  M.  D'Alibard  at  Mary-la-ville,  and  De  Lor 
at  his  houfe  in  the  Eftrapade  at  Paris,  fume  of  the  high- 
eft  ground  in  that  capital.  D'AIibard's  machine  firft 
ihevvcd  figns  of  eleclricity.  On  the  lotli  of  May,  17529 
a  thunder-cloud  pafied  over  it»  in  the  abfence  of  M.  D* 
Alibard;  and  a  number  of  fparks  were  drawn  from  it 
by  Coiffier,  a  joiner,  with  whora  D'Alibard  had  lefc 
dirr.dions  how  to  proceed,  nnd  by  M.  Roulet,  the  prior 
of  Mary-Ia-viHe,  An  account  of  this  experiment  was 
given  to  the  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences,  in  a  memoir, 
by  M.  D'Alibard,  dated  May  i3th,  1752.  On  the  fSth 
cf  May,  M.  de  Lor  proved  equally  fuccefsful  with  the 
apparatus  erc^d  at  his  own 'Iwufp*-  Thcfe  difcoveries 

foora 


£>on  fxetted  the  phi!ofopbr<£  of cthrr  pr?s  of  Europe  to 
repeat  the  experiment,  Anv.a.git  tJ>efe.  none  ii^bzed 
themfelves  rnore  than  Father  Bo  car a  cf  Ttsrin,  to  whole 
ohfervation?  fcicrce  is  much  indebted.  Fvt-n  the  c  Id 
regions  of  Riiffia  were  pen  trated  by  rhe  ard  ur  for  dif- 
covery.  Proftff  r  Ricbn.an  bide  "fair  ic  add  much  to 
the  (lock  of  knowledge  on  this  fubjrft,  when  an  unfor 
tunate  flufli  from  his  rod  pur  a  period  to  his  exiilence. 
The  friends  of  fcience  vvill  long  remember  with  regret 
the  amiable  martyr  to  elrftridry. 

Hy  thefe experiments  Franklin's  theory  was  eftablilheii 
in  the  moil  firm  ma -nicr.  When  the  tr'u'h  of  it  could 
f.o  longer  be.  doubted,  the  vanity  of  men  endeavoured 
to  deira$  from  its  merit.  That  an  American,  an  inhi> 
bitant  of  the  obfcure  city  of  Philadelphia,  the  name  of 
which  was 'hardly  known,  fhouid  be  able  to  make  di&o- 
vene.s,  and  to  frame  theories,  which  had  efcaped  the  no 
tice  of  the  enlightened  philofophers  of  Europe,  v*is  too 
mortifying,  to  be  admitted.  He  mult  cerainly  have 
taken  the  idea  from  fomebody  elfe.  An  Amer  can,  a 
being  of  an  inferior  order,  make  difeoverie, !  irnpoifible  I 
It  was  faid,  that  the  Abbe  Nollet,  in  i  748,  had  fuggtfled 
the  iiiea  of  the  firnilarity  of  lightning  and  ele^trkity,  in 
his  Le^om  de  Phjjique.  It  is  iruc,  that  \\-.£  Abbe  men 
tions  the  idea,  bu;  he  thro.vs  it  out  as  a  bare  corjeftuie, 
and  propoferHo  mode  of  afccrtaining  the  trurh  ci  iu  lie 
hi  mfelf  acknowledges,  that  Franklin  fir  ft  en*eiraine<!  the 
bold  thought  of  bringing  lighrning  from  the  heavens,  by 
jfticans  of  pointed  rods  fixed  in  the  air.  The  iimilarity 
of  electricity  and  lightning  i*  fo  fhong,  that  we  need 
not  be  furprifed  at  notice  beinir  taken-  or  it,  as  fcon  as 
electrical  phenomena  became  familiar.  We  find  it  men 
tioned  by  Dr.  Wall  and  Mr.  Gray,  while  the  fcience 
was  in  its  infancy.  But  the  honour  of  forming  a  regu 
lar  theory  of  thunder-gufts,  of  fuggciiing  a  mode  of  de 
termining  the  truth  of  it  by  experiments,  and  of  putting 
thfc£e  experiments  in  praclic^  and  thus  eftabi'ih  ng  his 
theory  upon  a  firm  and  folid  bafis,  is  inccfi'eftibly  due 
lr>  Friisklin.  D'Alibard,  who  made  the  experiments  in 
France^  fays,  that  he  only  followed  the  track  \vluch 
i'ranklin  had  pointed  cut.  It 


[       93       J 

It  has  been  of  late  averted,  that  the  honour  of  com 
pleting  the  experiment  wi»h  the  electrical  kife,  dee,  not 
belong  to  Franklin.  Some  late  Englifh  paragraphs  have 
attributed  it  to  fame  Frenchman,  whofe  name  they  do 
not  mention  ;  and  the  Abbe  Bertholon  gives  it  to  M9 
DC  Romas,  aifeifor  to  the  prciident  of  Nerac  ;  the  Eng- 
liih  paragraphs  probably  refer  to  the  fame  perfon.  But  a 
very  flight  attention  will  convince  us  of  the  injuftiee  of 
this  procedure  :  Dr.  Franklin's  experiment  was  made  in 
Juue  1752  ;  and  his  letter,  giving  a;*  account  of  it,  is 
liaied  October  19,  17;!,  M.  De  Romas  made  his  firft 
attempt  on  the  i-fth  cf  May,  17^3,  but  was  not  fuccefsful 
until  the  7th  of  June;  a  year  after  Franklin  had  com- 
plercd  the  difcovcry,  and  when  ii  was  known  to  all  the 
philosophers  in  Europe. 

Befi.ies  thefe  great  principles,  Franklin's  letters  on 
cleclr  icily  contain  a  number  of  fads  and  hints,  which 
have  contributed  greatly  towards  reducing  this  branch  of 
knowledge  to  a  fci/ncr.  His  ..friend,  Mr.  Kinneriley, 
communicated  to  him  a  difeovery  of  the  different  kinds 
of  electricity  excited  by  rubbing  glafs  and  fulphur. 
This,  we  have  faid,  was  firft  .ol>ft;rvcd  by  M.  Da  Faye  i 
but  it  v>  as  for  many  years  r.rglecied.  The  philofophers 
were  difpofcd  to  account  for  the  phenomena,  rather  from 
£  difference  in  the  q;ianriry  of  eleCttieity  collected  ;  and 
even  Du  Faye  himfelf  feesns  at  lail  to  have  adopted  this 
docirine.  Franklin  at  firft  entertained  the  fame  idea  ; 
but  upon  repeating  the  experiments,  he  perceived  that 
Mr.  Kinneriley  was  right  ;  and  that  the  'vitreous  and  re~ 
finau!  electricity  of  Da  Faye,  were  nothing  more  than 
the  pofuive  and  negative  ftates  which  he  had  before  ob- 
fcrved  ;  that  the  glafs  globe  charged  /ff/JV/iv/y,  or  in- 
creafed  the  quantity  of  electricity  on  the  prime  conduc 
tor,  whilft  the  globe  of  fulphur  diminifhes  its  nataral 
quantity,  or  charged  negatively.  Thefe  experiments, 
and  obfervations  opened  a  new  field  for  inveftigation, 
upon  which  electricians  entered  wiih  avidity  ;  and  their 
labours  have  added  much  to  the  dock  of  our  knowledge. 

In  September,  1752,  Franklin  entered  upon  a  courfe 
of  experiments,  to  determine  the  (Ute  of  electricity  in  the 

clouds-, 


[      94       ] 

clouds.  From  a  number  of  experiments  he  formed  this 
eonciuilon  :  '*  that  the-clouds  of  a  thunder-guft  aremoft 
commonly  in  a  negative  ftate  of  eleft  ricity,  but  feme- 
times  in  a  pofitive  ftate  ;"  and  from  this  it  follows  as  a 
iicTeifary  eonfequence,  "  that,  for  the  moil  part,  in 
thunder- flrckes,  it  is  the  earth  that  ftrikes  into  the  clouds, 
and  not  the  clouds  that  ftrike  into  the  earth."  The  let 
ter  containing  theft  ohfervations,  is  dated  in  September, 
J~753  >  2nt^  yet  I  he  difcovery  of  afcending  thunder  has 
been  faid  to  be  of  a  modern  date,  and  has  Ireen  attributed 
to  the.  Abbe  Bevtholon,  who  published  his  memoir  en  the 
iuhjeft  in  1776. 

Franklin**  ieners  have  been  tranflated  into  raoft  of  the 
European  languages,  and  into  Latin.  „  In  proportion  a.s 
they  have  become  known,  his  principles  have  been  a- 
dopted.  Some  oppoiuion  was  made  to  his  theories,  par- 
»ic:ul.*rly  by  the  Abbe  NoIIer,  who  was,  however,  but 
feebly  Aipported,  whilft  the  firft  philofophers  of  Europe 
Ivepped  forth  in  defence  of  Franklin's  principles  ;  amongft 
whom  D'Alibard  and  Beccaria  were  the  moft  diftin- 
guiihed.  The  oppofition  has  gradoally  ceafed,  and  the 
Frankliman  fyftemisnovv  univerfally  adopted,  wherefci- 
efice  fiouriilies. 

The  important  practical  ufe  which  Franklin  made  cf 
?-is  difcoveries,  the  fecuring  of  houfes  from  injury  by 
lightning,  has  been  already  mentioned.  Pointed  con- 
rs  are  now  very  common  in  America  ;  but  prejudice 
f:as  hitherto  prevented  their  general  introduOion  into 
Europe,  notwithilanding  the  moft  undoubted  proofs  of 
th^ir  utility  have  been  given.  But  mankind  can  with 
;.Uy  be  brought  to  lay  afideeftablimed  practices,  or 
to  adopt  ftexv  ones.  And  perhaps  we  have  more  realon 
to  be  furprifed  that  a  practice,  however  rational,  which 
V,M<J  propofed  about  forty  years  ago,  fhould  in  that  time 
have  been  adopted  in  fo  many  places,  than  that  it  has  not 
univerfally  prevailed.  It  is  only  by  degrees  that  the 
great  body  of  mankind  can  be  led  into  new  practices, 
however  fahitary  their  tendency.  It  is  now  nearly  eighty 
years  fince  inoculation  was  introduced  into  Europe  and 
America  ;  and  it  is  fo  far  from  being  general  at  prefent.. 

that 


L       95       1 

that  it  will,  perhaps,  require  .one  or  two  centuries  to 
reader  it  fo. 

In  the  year  1745-,  Franklin  publifhed  an  account  oi' 
his  new  invented  Pennsylvania  fire-place,  in  which  lie 
minutely  and  accurately  itates  the  advantages  and  dif* 
advantages  of  different  kinds  of  lire- places  ;  and  endea* 
vours  to  (hew  that  the  one  which  he  defciibes  is  to  be 
preferred  to  any  other.  This  contrivance  has  given  rife 
to  the  open  ftoves  now  in  general  ufe,  which  however 
differ  from  it  in  conftruftion,  particularly  in  not  having 
an  air- box  at  the  back,  through  which  a  conftant  fupply 
of  air,  warmed  in  its  paJflTage,  is  thrown  into  the  room. 
The  advantages  of  this  are,  that  as  a  ft  re  am  of  warm  air 
is  continually  Sowing  into  the  room,  icfs  fuel  is  neceflary 
to  preferve  a  proper  temperature,  and  the  room  may  be 
fo  lightened  as  that  no  air  may  enter  through  eracks ; 
the  confequences  of  which  are  colds,  toath-aches,  &c. 

Although  philofophy  was  a  principal  obj?&  of  'Frank 
lin's  purfuit  for  feveral  years,  he  c^niined  hijnie|f  not  to 
this.  In  the  year  1747,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
general  aflembly  of  Pcnnfylvania,  as  a  bnrgefs  for  the 
*.;ity  cf  Philadelphia.  Warm  difputes  at  this  time  fub* 
filled  between  the  aflembly  and  the  proprietaries;  each 
contending  for  what  they  conceived  to  be  their  juft 
rights.  Franklin,  a  friend  to  the  rights  of  man  from 
his  infancy,  foc»  diii  'nguifhed  himfelf  as  a  fteady  oppo- 
rfr-.f.  of  the  unjuil  fchemes  of  the  proprietaries.  He  was 
icon  looked  up  to  as  the  head  of  the  opposition  ;  and  to 
him  have  been  attributed  many  of  the  fpirited  replies  of 
the  afiembly,  to  ?:he  meiTages  of  the  governors.  His  in- 
flnence  in  the  body  was  very  great.  This  arofe  not 
Frore  any  fuperior  powers  of  eloquence;  he  fpoke  but 
•\  and  he  never  was  known  to  make  an}'  thing  like 
an  elaborate  harangue.  His  fpeeches  often  confiued  of 
a  llngle  fentence,  or  of  a  well  told  ftory,  the  moral  of 
which  was  always  obvioufly  to  the  point.  He  never  at 
tempted  the  flowery  fields  of  oratory.  His  manner  was 
plain  and  mild.  His  flyle  in  fpeaking  was,  like  that  of 
his  writings,"  remarkably  concife.  With  this  plain  man- 
aer,  and  Iw  pone  t  rat  in-  and  folid  judgment/he  was  able 

to 


to  confound  the  moft  eloquent  arid  fubtle  of  his  ac!vfr\*» 
ries,  to  confirm  the  opinions  of  his  friends,  and  to  rrake 
cor.verts  of  the  unprejudiced  who  had  oppofed 
With  a  fingle  obfervation,  he  has  rendered  of  no  avail 
ian  elegant  and  lengthy  difcourfe,  and  determined  the 
fate  o*  a  queftion  of  importance. 

21  ct  he  was  not  contented  with  thus  fuppnrfing  the 
lights  <;f  the  people.  He  wifiied  to  render  them  perma 
nently  fec'ure,  which  can  only  be  done  by  making  their 
value  properly  known  ;  and  this  muft  depend  upon  in- 
creafing  and  extending  information  10  every  ciafs  of  men. 
We  have  already  feen  that  he  was  the  founder  of  the 
public  library,  which  contributed  greatly  towards  im 
proving  the  minds  of  the  citizens.  But  this  was  not  fuf- 
ftcient.  The  fchooLt  then  fftbfiftmg  were  in  genera'  of 
little  utility.  The  teachers  were  men,  ill  qualified  fcr 
the  important  duty  which  they  had  undertaken  ;  and, 
after  all,  nothing  more  could  be  obtained  than  the  rudi 
ments  of  a  common  Engliih  education.  Franklin  drew 
up  a  plan  of  an  academy,  to  be  creeled  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  fuited  to  "  the  (late  of  an  infant  country  ;" 
but  in  this,  as  in  all  his  plans,  he  confined  not  his  views 
to  the  prefent  time  only.  He  looked  forward  to  the  pe 
riod  when  an  initirution  on  an  enlarged  plan  would  be 
come  neceflary.  With  this  view  he  confidered  his  aca 
demy  as  "a  foundation  for  pofterity  to  erecl  a  feminary 
of  learning,  more  extenfive,  and  fuitable  to  future  cir- 
cumftances."  In  purfuance  of  this  plan,  the  conftitu- 
tions  were  drawn  up  and  figned  on  the  ijth  of  Novem 
ber,  1749.  In  theie,  twenty- four  of  the  moft  refpecla- 
ble  citizens  of  Philadelphia  were  named  as  truflecs.  In 
the  choice  of  thefe,  and  in  the  formation  of  his  plan, 
Franklin  is  faid  to  have  confulted  chiefly  with  Thomas 
Hopkinfon,  Efq.  Rev.  Richard  Peters,  than  fecretary  of 
the  province,  Tench  Francis,  Efq.  attorney-general,  and 
Dr.  Phineas  Bond. 

The  following  article  mews  a  fpirit  o'f  behevclence 
worthy  of  imitation  ;  And,  for  the  honour  of  our  city, 
we  hope  that  it  continues  to  be  in  force. 

'*  In  cafe  of  the  inability  of  ihe  re&9rt  or  any  matter, 

(eilabiifhrd 


r    97   j 

/••-•UbHfaed  en  the  foundation  by  receiving  a  certain 
friary)  through  ficknefs,  or  any  other  nateral  infirmity., 
whereby  he  may  be  reduced  to  poverty  *  the  truftees  mail 
have  power  to  contribute  to  his  fnpport,  in  proportion 
to  his  cHtfrefs  and  merit,  and  the  itcck  in  their  hands." 

The  lail  claufe  of  the  fundamental  rules  is  exprefled  in 
language  fo  tender  and  benevolent,  fo  truly  parents], 
that  it  will  do  evetfJuiUng  honour  to  the  heavts  and  heads 
of  tae  founders. 

"  It  is  hoped  and  expefted  that  the  truftees  will  make 
it  their  pleafure,  and  in  forae  degree  their  bufmefs,  to 
vifit  the  academy  often  ;  to  encourage  and  countenance 
the  youth,  countenance  and  aflift  the  matters,  and  by  all 
means  in  their  power  advance  the  ufefulnefs  and  reputa 
tion  of  the  deiign  ;  that  they  will  look  on  the  students 
as  in  fome  meafure  their  own  children,  treat  them  \?'ul) 
familiarity  and  affeclion  ;  and  when  they  have  behaved 
well,  gone  through  their  ftudies,  and  are  to  enter  the 
world,  they  mall  zealoufly  unite,  and  make  all  the  in- 
tereft  that  can  be  made,  to  promote  and  eftabjifh  them, 
whether  in  bufinefs,  offices,  marriages,  or  any  other  thing 
for  their  advantage,  preferable  to  all  other  pcrfons  what- 
foever,  even  of  equal  merit." 

The  coniHtutions  being  figned  and  made  public,  with 
the  names  of  the  gentlemen  propofing  themfelves  as  truf- 
tees  and  founders,  the  defign  was  fo  well  approved  of  by 
the  public- fpiri ted  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  that  the  fum 
of  eight  hundred  pounds  per  annum,  for  five  years,  was 
in  the  courfe  of  a  few  weeks  fubfcribed  for  carrying  the 
plan  into  execution  ;  and  in  the  beginning  of  January 
following  (viz.  1750)  three  ef  the  fchools  were  opened, 
namely,  the  Latin  and  Greek  fchools,  the  Mathematical 
and  the  Eaglifh.  fchools.  In  purfuance  of  an  article  in 
the  original  plan,  a  fchool  for  educating  fixty  boys  and 
thirty  girls  (in  the  charter  fince  called  the  Charitable 
School,!  was  opened,  and  arnidft  all  the  difficulties  with 
wrjich.the  truftces  have  ftruggfcd  in  refpeft  to  their  funds 
has  ftiil  been  continued  ful{  for  the  fpace  of  forty  years  ; 
fo  that  allowing  three  years  education  for  each  boy  an  t 
girl  admitted  into  it,  which  is  the  general  rule,  at  knit 
I  twelve 


I     98     3 

twelve  hundred  children  have  received  in  it  the  chief 
part  of  their  education,  who  might  otherwife,  in  a  great 
m<eaf:ire,  have  been  left  without  the  means  of  inftru&ion. 
And  many  of  thofc  who  have  be^n  thus  educated,  art 
now  to  be  found  among  the  moft  ufefu!  and  reputable 
citizens  of  this  ftate. 

The  inftirution,   thus  fuccefsfully  begun,    continued 
daily  to  flowrilh,  to  the  great  fatisfaclion  cf  Dr.  Frank 
lin  ;    who,  notwithftanding  the  multiplicity  of  his  oiher 
engagements  and  purfuits  at  that  bufy  ftage  of  his  life, 
was  a  confiant  attendant  at  the  monthly  viStations  and 
examinations  of  the  fchools,   and  made  it  his  particular 
itudy,  by  means  of  his  exter.five  correfpondence  abroad, 
to  advance  the  reputation  of  the  ferainary,  and  to  draw 
ftudents  and  fcholars  to  it  from  different  parts  of  Ameri 
ca  and  the  Welt-Indies.     Through  the  interpoiidon  of 
his  benevolent  and  learned  friend,  Peter  Collinfon,  of 
London,  upon  the  application  of  the  truilees,  a  charter 
of  incorporation,    dated  July  13,   1753,  was  obtained 
from  the  honourable  proprietors  of  Pennfylvania,   Tho 
mas  Penn  and  Richard  Pens,   Efqrs.  accompanied  with 
a  liberal  benefacTion  of  five  hundred  pounds  ilerling  ; 
and  Dr.  Franklin  now  began  in  good  earneft  to  pleafe 
himfeif  with  the  hopes  of  a  fpeedy  accoinplifnment  of  his 
original  defign,  viz.  the  eftablifnment  of  a  perfect  mfti- 
;tution,  upon  the  plan  of  the  European  colleges  and  uni- 
•verfities  ;  for  which  his  academy  was  intended  as  a  nur- 
fery  or  foundation.      To  elucidate  this  fad,  is  a  matter 
of  confiderable  importance  in  refpecl  to  the  memory  and 
character  of  Dr.  Franklin,  as  a  philofopher,  and  as  the 
friend  and  patron  of  learning  and  fcience  ;  for,  notwith- 
itanding  what  is  exprefsly  declared  by  him  in  the  pream 
ble  to  the  constitutions,  viz.  that  the  academy  was  begun 
for  "  teaching  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages,  with  all 
ufeful  branches  of  the  arts  and  fciences,  fuirable  to  the 
ilate  of  an  infant  country,  and  laying  a  foundation  for 
pofterity  to  ereft  a  fcminary  of  learning  more  extenfive, 
and  fuitable  to  their  future  circumftances  ;"    yet  it  has 
been  fuggefted  of  late,  as  upon  Dr.  Franklin's  authority, 
that  the  Latin  and  Greek,  or  the  dead  languages,   are  an 

incumbrance 


E       99       J 

iacumbrance  upon  a  fcheme  of  liberal  education,  and 
that  the  engrafting  or  founding  a  college,  or  more  ex- 
tenfive  feminary,  upon  his  academy,  was  without  his  ap 
probation  or  agency,  and  gave  him  difcontent.  If  the 
reverie  of  ihis  does  not  already  appear,  from  what 
has  been  quoted  above,  the  following  letters  will 
put  the  matter  beyond  difpute.  They  were  writ- 
ten  'by  him  to  a  gentleman,  who  had  at  that  time 
puhliihed  the  idea  of"  a  college,  fuited  to  the  circurnftan- 
ees  of  a  young  country,  (meaning  New- York)  a  copy  of 
which  having  been  feiit  to  Dr.  Franklin  for  his  opinion, 
gave  rife  to  that  correfpondence  which  terminated  abouc 
a  year  afterwards,  in  creeling  the  college  upon  the  foun 
dation  of  the  academy,  and  eftablifhing  that  gentleman 
as  the  head  of  both,  where  he  ftill  continues,  af  er  a  pe 
riod  of  thirty- fix  years,  toprefide  with  diilinguifhed  re 
putation. 

From  thefe  letters  alfo,  the  £ate  of  the  academy,  at 
that  time,  will  be  fcea, 

gjr%  Pfalad.  April  1 9,  1 7 $3. 

I  received  your  favour  of  the  nth  inftant,  with  your 
new*  piece  on  Education,  which  I  (hall  carefully  perufe, 
and  give  you  my  femlments  of  it,  as  you  defire,  by 
next  poft. 

I  believe  the  young  gentlemen,  your  pupils,  may  be 
entertained  and  inftrucled  here,  in  mathematics  and  phi- 
lofophy,  to  fatisfaclion.  Mr.  Alifon  t  (who  was  edu 
cated  at  Glafgow)  has  been  long  accudomed  to  teach  the 
latter,  and  Mr.  GrewJ  the  former;  and  I  think  their 
pupils  make  great  progrefs.  Mr.  Alifon  has  the  care  of 
the  Latin  and  Greek  fchool,  but  as  he  has  now  three 
good  a£iftams,§  he  can  very  well  afford  fome  hours  e"«*- 
I  2  rjr 

*  A  general  idea  of  the  college  of  Marania. 

t  The  Rev.  and  learned  Mr.  Francis  Alifon,  afterwards  D. 
P.  and  vice-provoft  of  the  college. 

J  Mr.  Theophilus  Grew,  afterwards  profsffor  of  mathemat 
ics  in  the  college. 

§  Tliofe  aflfiitants  were  at  that  time  Mr.  Charles  Thomfon, 
late  fecretary  of  congrefst  Mr.  Paul  Jackfon,  and  Mr,  Jacob 
Duche. 


[         10©        ] 

Jiy  day  for  the  inftruftion  of  thofe  who  are  engaged  in 
higher  ftudies.  The  mathematical  fchool  is  pretty  well 
furnifhed  with  inflrnments.  The  Engllm  library  is  a 
good  one;  and  we  have  belonging  to  it  a  middling  ap 
paratus  for  experimental  philcfophy,  and  purpofe  fpeed- 
ily  to  complete  it.  The  Loganian  library,  one  of  the 
beft  collections  in  America,  will  fnortly  be  opened  ;  fo 
that  neither  books  nor  inftruments  will  be  wanting  j  and 
as  w.e  are  determined  always  to  give  good  falaries,  we 
have  reafon  to  believe  we  may  have  always  an  opportu 
nity  of  choofmg  good  matters  ;  upon  which,  indeed,  the 
fuccefs  of  the  whole  depends.  We  are  obliged  to  you 
for  your  kind  offers  in  this  refpecl,  and  when  you  are 
ftttled  in  England,  we  may  occafionally  make  ufe  ot 
your  friendmip  and  judgment. 

If  it  fuits  your  conveniency  to  vifit  Philadelphia  before 
you  return  to  Europe,  I  (hall  be  extremely  glad  to  fee 
and  converfe  with  you  here,  as  well  as  to  correfpond 
with  you  after  your  fetdement  in  England  ;  for  an  ac 
quaintance  and  communication  with  men  of  learning,, 
virtue  and  public  fpirit,  is  one  of  my  greatefl  enjoy 
ments. 

I  do  not  know  whether  you  ever  happened  to  fee  the 
£rlr.  propofals  1  made  for  erecting  this  academy.  1  fend 
them  enclofed.  They  had  (however  imperfeci)  the  de- 
fired  fuceefs,  being  followed  by  a  fubfcription  of  four 
thoufavd  pounds,  towards  carrying  them  into  execution. 
And  as  we  are  fond  of  receiving  advice,  and  are  daily 
improving  by  experience,  I  am  ia  hopes  we  fhall,  in  a 
lew  years,  fee  a  perfeft  ivjlituthn. 

I  am  very  refpeclfully,  £c. 

B.  FRANKLIN. 
Mr.  W.  Smith.  Long-liland. 


Si).  Philad.   May  $J 

Mr.  Peters  has  juft  now  been  with  me,  and  we  have 
compared  notes  on  your  new  piece.  We  find  nothing. 
in  the  fcheme  of  education,  however  excellent,  but  what 
Is,  in  oar  opinion,  very  pradicable.  The  great  ciiiiicul- 

ty 


[      I01      Ji 

ty  will  be  fo  jind  the  Aratus,*  and  other  fuitable  per- 
fons,  to  carry  it  into  execution  ;  but  fuch  nvay  be  had 
if  proper  encouragement  be  given.  We  have  both  re 
ceived  great  pleafure  in  the  perafal  of  it.  For  my  part^ 
I  know  not  when  I  have  read  a  piece  that  has  more  aV- 
fectcd  me — fo  noble  and  juft  a  re  the  fentiments,  fo  warm 
and  animated  the  language ;  yet  as  cenfure  from  year 
friends  may  be  of  more  ufe,  as  well  as  more  agreeable  to 
you  than  praife,  'I  ought  to  mention  that  1  wifh  you  bad 
omitted  not  only  the  quotation  from  the  P»eview,i  which 
you  are  now  juilly  diffatisfied  with,  but  thofe  expreffiona 
of  refentment  againft  your  advcrfuries,  in  pages  65  and 
79.  In  fuch  cafes,  the  noblefc  vi&ory  is  obtained  by 
neglect,  and  by  fhining  on. 

Mr.  Allen  has  been  out  of -town  thefe  ten  days;  but 
before  he  went  he  directed  me  to  procure  him  fix  copies 
of  your  piece.  Mr.  Peters  has  taken  ten.  He  purpofed 
to  have  written  to  you  ;  but  omits  it,  as  he  expects  fooa 
to  have  the  pleafure  of  feeing  you  here.  He  defire.s  me 
to  prefent  his  affectionate  compliments  to  you,  and  to  af- 
fure  you  that  you  will  be  very  welcome  to  him.  I  flvali 
only  fay,  that  you  may  depend  on  my  doing  all  in  my 
power  -to  make  your  vifit  to  Philadelphia  agreeable  to 
you.  1  am,  £c. 

B,  FRANKLIN. 

ftfr*  Smith, 

D,arSir,  PMaJ.Nvv.wt,,   IT  & 

Having  written  you  fully,   'via  Briftol,   I  have  now 

little  to  add.     Matters  relating,  to  the  academy  remain 

in  fiatu  qus.     The  trustees  would  be  glad  to  fee  a  redor 

1  3  eflablifhed 

*  The  name  given  to  the  principal  or  head  of  the  Weal  col 
lege;  the  i>ftern  of  education  in  which  hath  neveriheiets  been 
nearly  rea!izcd»  or  followed  as  a  model,  in  the  college  and  aca 
demy  of  Philadelphia,  and  fome  other  American  femiuaiics,  lor 
many  years  [>aft. 

t  The  quotation  allaned  to  {from  the  London  Monthly  Re 
view  for  17*9)  was  judged  to  refictt  too  levcrely  on  the  difci- 
pline  and  governrneiit  of  the  Engiilh  univerlitics  of"  Oxford  and 
Ganibndge,  and  \v*te  expunged  from  the  following  editions  of 

this  vycrk. 


f  ;    10*     1 

eftabliflied  there,  but  they  dread  entering  into  new  en-  , 
gagcments  till  they  are  got  oat  of  debt  ;  and  1  have  not 
yet  got  them  wholly  over  to  my  opinion,  that  a  good 
profeflbr,  or  teacher  of  the  higher  branches  of  learning, 
wculd  draw  fo  many  fchoJars  as  to  pay  ^fcaf  part,  if  not 
the  whole,  of  his  falary.  Thus,  unlefs  the  proprietors 
(of  the  province)  mall  think  fit  to  pur  vie  finifning  hand 
10  cur  inftkution,  it  muft,  1  fear,  wait  fame  few  >ears 
longer  before  it  can  arrive  at  tli.it  fiatt  of  perfection, 
\vhich  to  me  it  feems  now  capable  of;  and  all  the  plca- 
fure  1  promifed  myfelf,  in  feeing  you  fettled  among  us, 
vanifnes  into  fmoke. 

But  good  Mr.  Collinfon  -writes  me  word,  that  no  en 
deavours  of  l.is  fliall  be  wanting;  and  he  hopes,  with 
the  archbifhop's  affiftance,  to  be  able  to  prevail  with  our 
proprietors.*  1  pray  God  grant  them  fuccefs. 

My  fon  prefents  his  affectionate  regards,  wiih,  Dear 
Sir,  Yours,  &c. 

B.  FRANKLIN. 

P.  S.  I  have  not  been  favoured  with  a  line  from  you 
fmceyour  arrival  in  England.' 


Sir,  .  April  1  8/£,  1  754. 

1  have  had  but  one  letter  from  you  fince  your  arrival 
in  England,  which  was  a  fhort  one,  'via  Bofton,  dated" 
Oclober  1  8th,  acquainting  me  that  you  had  written 
largely  by  Capt.  Davis.  —  Davis  was  loft,  and  with  him 
your  letters,  to  my  great  difappointment.  Mefnard  and 
Gibbon  have  fince  arrived  here,  and  I  hear  nothing  from 
you.  My  comfort  is,  an  imagination  that  you  only  emit 
writing  hecaufe  you  are  coming,  and  puipofe  to  tell  me 
e  very  thing  i-iva  i<cce.  So  not  knowing  whether  this 
letter  will  reach  you,  and  hoping  either  to  fee  or  hear 
£ro;n  you  by  the  Mynilia,  Capt.  Buddon's  fhip,  which 

is 

*  Upon  the  application  of  arc.hbiftiop  Herring,  a«d  P.  Col- 
Htuon  li/'q.  at  Dr.  Franklin's  vequcft  (aided  by  the  letters  of 
Mr  Al!en  and  Mr.  Peters)  tiie  lion-  Thomas  Pcnn,  Kfq.  iub- 
Icribed  an  annual  fuin,  a,\d  afterwards  gave  at  leaft  5000!.  t« 
tiie  founding  or  engvafciiig  the  college  upon  the  academy. 


E    103    ] 

is  daily  eKpefted,   I  only  add.   that  I  am,  with  great 
efteem  and  afFcclioa, 

Yoars,  &c. 
Mr.  Smith.  B.  FRANKLIN. 

About  a  month  after  the  date  of  this  laft  Jftfer,  the 
gentleman  to  whom  it  was  add  relied  arrived  in  Philadel 
phia,  and  was  immediately  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
feminary  ;  whereby  Dr.  Fianklin,  and  the  other  troftees, 
were  enablcJ  to  profecnte  their  plan,  for  perfecting  the 
inftituiion,  and  opening  the  college  upon  the  large  and 
liberal  foundation  on  which  it  now  {rands;  for  which 
purpofe  they  obtained  their  additional  charter,  dated 
May  zyth,  175;. 

Thin  far  we  thought  proper  to  exhibit  in  one  view 
Dr.  Franklin's  fer vices  in  .he  foundation  and  erraWifti- 
menr  of  this  feminary.  He  foon  afterward  embarked 
for  England,  in  the  public  fervice  of  liis  country  ;  and 
having  been  generally  employed  abroad,  in  the  like  fer 
vice,  for  the  greafeft  part  of  the  remainder  of  his  life  (at 
will  appear  in  our  fubfequentaccouat  of  the  fame)  he  had 
but  few  opportunities  of  taking  any  further  aftive  part 
in  tfce  affairs  of  the  feminary,  until  his  final  return  in 
the  year  1785,  when  he  found  its  charters  violated,  and 
his  ancient  colleagues,  the  original  founders,  deprived  of 
their  trull,  by  an  aft  of  the  legiflature  ;  and  although; 
his  own  name  had  been  inferted  among  the  new  truftees, 
yet  he  declined  to  take  his  feat  among  them,  or  any  con 
cern  in  the  management  of  their  affairs,  till  the  inftitu. 
tt'jn  was  reftorcd  by  law  to  its  original  owners.  He 
then  r.ffembled  his  old  colleagues  at  his  own  houfe,  and 
being  chofen  their  prefid-ept,  all  their  future  meetings 
were,  at  his  requeft,  held  there,  till  within  a  few  months 
of  his  death,  when,  with  reluctance  and  at  their  delire, 
left  he  might  be  too  much  injured  by  his  attention  to 
their  bunnsfs,  he  fuffered  them  to  meet  at  the  college. 

Franklin  nor  only  gave  birth  to  many  ufeful  inftitu- 
tions  himfelf,  but  he  was  alfo  inftrumental  in  promoting 
thofe  *  'lich  had  originated  with  other  men.  Aboat  th<* 
1752,  an^cminsat  phyficiaa  of  this  city,  Dr.  Bond* 

confidering 


the  deplorable  ftafe  of  the  poor,  when  vifi^ed 
with  difeafe,  conceived  the  idea  of  eftablifhing  an  hof- 
•pital.  Notwithftanding  very  great  exertions  on  his  part, 
he  was  able  to  intereii  few  people  fo  far  in  his  benevolent 
plan,  as  to  obtain  fubfcriptions  from  them.  Unwilling 
thV  this  fchenHe  ihouid  prove  abortive,  he  fought  the  aid 
of  Franklin,  who  readily  engaged  in  the  bufinefs,  both 
Uv  ufing  his  influence  with  his  friends,  and  by  Bating  the 
age  us  influence  of  t!  e  propofed  inftitu:io:i  in  his 
pa^er.  Thefe  efforts  were  a<  tended  v/ith  fuccefs.  Con- 
fLicirable  fuins  \veie  fubfcribed  ;  but  they  were  ftill  fhort 
of  what  \vas  neceffary.  Frar:klin  now  ma:.e  anoihcr  ex 
ertion.  He  applied  to  the  aflerably  ;  and,  after  fame 
epj'olition,  obtained  leave  co  bring  in  a  bill,  fpecifying». 
that  as  foon  a«  two  thoufand  pounds  were  fublcribed^ 
£he  fame  fam  (houM  be  drawn  from  the  treai'ury.by  the 
fpeaktr's  wamnt,  to  be  applied  to  the  purppfes  of  the 
inftitution.  The  oppofition,  as  the  Aim  was  granted  up. 
oa  a  contingency  which  they  fuppofed  would  never  take 
place,  were  filent,  and  the  bill  pafied.  The  friends  of 
the  plan  now  redoubled  their  efforts,  ta  obtain  fubfciip- 
tions  to  the  amount  ftaied  in  the  bill,  and  were  foon  fuc- 
oef&ful.  This  was  the  foundation  of  the  Pennfylvania 
llofpital ;  which,  with  the  Bettering- houfe  and  Di fpen- 
^ry,  bears  ample  teftiiaor.y  of  the  humanity  of  the  citi 
zens  of  Philadelphia. 

Dr.  Franklin  had  conducted  Irimfelf  fo  well  in  the 
office  of  poft-mafter,  and  had  fhown  himfelf  to  be  fo 
well  acquainted  with  the  bufinefs  of  that  department, 
that  it  was  thought  expedient  to  raife  him  to  a  more  dig 
nified  flanon.  In  1753  he  was  appointed  deputy  poft- 
mafter-geneial  for  the  Britiih  colonies.  The  piofits 
surifing  from  the  poft-ofrice  was  a  part  of  the  revenue 
which  the  crown  of  Great  Britain  derived  froin  the 
colonies.  In  the  hands  of  Franklin,  it  is  faid,  that 
the  poft-oifice  in  America  yielded  annually  thrice  a» 
much  as  that  of  {reland. 

The  American  colonies  were  much  expofed  to  depre* 
d-ations  on  their,  frontiers,  by  the  Indians;  an  more, 
particularly  whenever' a  war  took  place  beuveefl  r  ranee _ 

and 


1 


and  England.  The  colonies,  individually,  were  ef  the  f 
too  weak  to  take  efficient  n>ca  fares  for  their  own  de 
fence,  or  they  were  unwilling  (o  take  upon  themfelve* 
the  whole  burden  of  creeping  forts  and  maintaining  gar- 
rifons.  whilft  their  neighbours,  who  partook  equally  witli 
themfelves  of  the  advantages,  contributed  nothing  to  the 
expence.  Sometimes  alfo  the  difputes,  which  fubfifteo? 
between  the  governors  and  aflfemblies,  prevented  the 
adoption  of  mea-vs  of  defence  ;  as  we  have  feen  was  the 
cafe  in  Pennfylvania  in  1745.  To  devife  a  plan  of 
union  between  the  colonies,  to  regulate  this  and  other 
matters,  appeared  a  defirable  object.  To  accomplifil 
this,  in  the  year  1754,  commiffioners  from  New-Hamp- 
fhire,  MaiTachufetts,  Rhode-lfland,  New-Jerfey,  Pcr.n- 
fylvania,  and  Maryland,  met  at  Albany.  Dr.  Franklin 
attended  here,  as  a  com  rniffioner  from  Pennfylvania,  and 
produced  a  plan,  which,  from  the  place  of  meeting,  has 
been  ufually  termed,  "  The  Albany  Plan  of  Union.** 
This  propofed,  that  application  ihould  be  made  for  an 
aft  of  parliament,  to  eftablilh  in  the  colonies  a  general 
government,  to  be  adminiftered  by  a  prefident-general, 
appointed  by  the  crown,  and  by  a  grand  council,  con- 
fifting  of  members  chofen  by  the  reprefentadves  of  the 
different  colonies  ;  their  number  to  be  in  direct  propor 
tion  to  the  fums  paid  by  each  colony  into  the  general 
treafury,  with  this  restriction,  that  no  colony  mould  have 
more  than  feven,  nor  lefs  than  two  reprefentatives.  The 
v/hole  execurive  authority  was  committed  to  the  prefi- 
denr-  general.  The  power  of  legislation  was  I'odged  in 
the  grand  co-jncil  and  prefident-general  jointly  ;  his 
confent  l>^ing  made  neceflary  to  pafiing  a  bill  into  a  law. 
The  power*  vefted  in  the  preliderrt  and  council  were,  to 
declare  war  and  peace,  and  to  conclude  treaties  with  the 
Indian  nations  ;  to  regulate  trade  with,  and  to  make  pur- 
ehafes  of  vacant  lands  from  them,  either  in  the  name  of 
the  crown,  or  of  the  union  ;  to  fettle  new  colonies,  to 
make  laws  for  governing  thefe  until  they  fhould  be  erect 
ed  into  feparate  govern  roents,  and  to  raife  troops,  build 
fcm,  fit  out  armed  veflels,  and  ufe  other  means  for  the 
general  deflate;  and  to  efFed  thefe  Chi'ngs,  a  power  was 

given 


[ •     io6      ] 

given  to  mpke  jaws,  laying  fuch  duties,  iinpofts,  or  tax 
es,  as  they  ifeoulti  find  neceffary,  and  as  would  be  leaH 
burthenfome  to  the  people.  All  law*  were  to  be  fent  to 
England  for  the  king's  approbation  ;  and  unlefs  tlifap- 
p roved  of  within  three  years,  were  to  remain  in  force. 
All  officers  in  the  land  or  fea  fervice  were  to  be  nomi 
nated  by  the  prefident-general,  and 'approved  of  by  the 
general  council ;  civil  officers  were  to  be  nominated  by 
tne  council,  and  approved  by  the  prefidcnt.  Such  are 
the  out-lines  of  the  plan  propofed,  for  the  confederation 
of  the  congrcfs.  by  Dr.  Franklin.  After  feveral  days 
4tfcufiicn,  it  was  unanimoufly  agreed  to  by  the  com- 
iniuloners,  a  copy  tranfmit-ied  to  each  afTernbly,  and  one 
to  the  king's  council.  The  fare  of  it  was  fingular.  It 
was  difapproved  of  by  the  minrftry  of  Great-Britain, 
feecaufe  it  gave  too  much  power  to  the  icprefentatives  of 
the  people;  and  it  was  rejected- by  every  aflembly,  as 
giving  to  the  prefident-general,  the  representative  of  ihe 
crown,  an  influence  greater  than  appeared  to  them 
proper,  in  a  plan  of  government  intended  for  freemen. 
Perhaps  this  rejeftion,  on  both  fides,  is  the  ftrongeft 
proof  that  could  be  adduced  of  the  excellence  of  it,  as 
{uited  to  the  fituation  of  America  and  Great- Britain  at 
that  time.  It  appears  to  have  fleered  exaftly  in  the 
middle,  between  the  oppoiite  interefts  of  both. 

Whether  the  adoption  of  this  plan  would  have  pre 
vented  the  feparation  of  America  from  Great- Britain, 
is  a  queftion  which  might  afford  much  room  for  fpecula- 
ticn.  It  may  be  faid,  that,  by  enabling  the  colonies  to 
Defend  thcrafdves,  it  would  have  removed  the  pretext 
upon  which  the  ftarnp-acl,  tea-acl,  and  other  a^ls  of  the 
Britifn  parliament,  were  pafied  :  which  exciied  a  fpirit 
of  oppofuion,  and  laid  the  foundation  for  the  feparation 
of  the  two  countries.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  muft 
be  admitted,  that  the  reftridion  laid  by  Great-Britain 
upow  our  commerce,  obliging  us  to  fell  our  produce  to 
her  citizens  only,  and  t©  take  frjm  them  various  articles, 
of  which,  as  our  manufactures  we*e  difcouraged,  we  itood 
in  need,  at  a  price  greater  than  that  for  which  they  cou!4 
kave  been  obtained  from  other  nations,  muft  inevitably 

produce 


3 

produce  diffatisfaftion,   even  though  no  duties ^ 
pofed  by  the  -parliament  :    a  circurnvbtnce  -  in 

Hill  have  taken  place,      t'cficles,  as  th*  preb  :;il 

was  to  be  ap'poin  ed  by  the  crown,  he  mutr,  oi  ne'ceiii'.y, 
be  devoted  to  its  views,  and  would,  therefore,  refuie^his 
affent  to  any  laws,  however  fiilutary  to  the  communiiy, 
which  had  the  moil  re:n  >*"•  tendency  to  injure  the  inter- 
efh  of  his  fovereign.  Even  fhould  they  receive  his  af 
fent,  the  approba*ion  of  the  king  was  to  be  neccffiuy  ; 
who  would  indubitably,  in  every  inftance,  prefer.the  ad 
vantage  of  his  home  dominions  to  that  ot  his  colonies. 
Hence  would  enfa."  perpetual  disagreements  between  ihe 
council  aud  the  prefident- general,  and  thus,  between  the 
people  of  America  and  the  crown  of  Great-Britain  : 
While  the  eolonies  continued  weak,  they  would  be 
obliged  to  fubmit,  and  as  foon  as  they  acquired  ftreagth 
they  would  become  more  urgent  in  their  demands,  until, 
at  length,  they  would  make  off  the  yoke,  and  declare 
.themfelves  independent. 

Whilit  the  French  were  in  pofleflion  of  Canada,  their 
trade  with  the  natives  extended  very  far;  even  to  the 
back  of  the  Britifh  fettlements.  They  were  difpofed, 
from  time  to  time,  to  eftablifli  polls  within  the  territory, 
which  the  Britifh  claimed  as  their  own.  Independent  of 
the  injury  to  the  fur-trade,  which  was  confiderable,  the 
eolonies  fuffered  this  further  inconvenience,  that  the  In 
dians  were  frequently  inftigattd  to  commit  depredations 
on  their  frontiers.  In  the  year  i753>  encroachments 
were  made  upon  the  boundaries  of  Virginia.  Remon- 
ftrances  had  no  effect.  In  the  enfuing  year,  a  body  of 
men  was  fent  out  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Waftiing- 
ton,  who,  though  a  very  young  man,  had,  by  his  conduct 
in  the  preceding  year,  (hewn  himfelf  worthy  of  foeh  an 
important  trull.  Whiift  marching  to  take  poffe  <:on  of 
the  poll  at  the  junction  of  the  Allegany  and  Mononga- 
hela,  he  was  informed  that  the  French  had  already  erec 
ted  a  fort  there.  A  detachment  of  their  men  marched 
againft  him.  He  fortified  himfelf  as  (trongly  as  time 
and  circumftances  would  permit.  A  fuperionty  of  num 
bers  foon  obliged  him  to  furrender  Fart  NeceJJity.  He 

obtained 


t      zoS      ] 

obtained  hononrable  terms  for  hirafelf  nnd  men,  and  re- 
turned  to  Virginia,  The  government  cf  Great- Britain 
.now  thought  it  neceffary  to  interfere.  In  the  y tar  i  755, 
"General  Braddock,  with  fome  regiments  of  regmar 
tro« :.ps,  and  provincial  levies,  was  lent  ro  difpofids  the 
French  of  the  pofts  upon  which  they  had  feized.  After 
the  men  were  all  ready,  a  difficulty  occurred,  which  had 
nearly  prevented  the  expedition.  This  was  the  want  of 
waggons.  Franklin  now  ftepped  forward,  and  with  the 
afiiftance  of  his  fon,  in  a  littJe  time  procured  a  hundred 
and  fifty.  Braddock  unfortunately  fell  into  an  amhuf- 
cade,  and  pert  (bed,  with  a  number  of  his  men.  Wafh- 
ington,  who  had  accompanied  him  as  an  aid-de-camp, 
and  had  warned  him  in  vain  of  his  danger,  now  dif- 
playecl  great  military  talents  in  effecting  a  retreat  of  the 
remains  of  the  army,  and  in  forming  a  junction  with  rhc 
rear,  under  colonel  Dunbar,  upon  whom  the  chief  com 
mand  now  devolved.  With  fome  difficulty  they  brought 
their  little  body  to  a  place  of  fafety  ;  but  (hey  found  it 
necefiary  to  de.it  roy  their  waggons  and  baggage  to  pre 
vent  their  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  For  the 
waggons  which  he  had  furnifned,  Franklin  had  given 
bonds  to  a  large  amount.  The  owners  declared  their 
intentions  of  obliging  him  to  make  a  refutation  of  their 
property.  Had  they  put  their  threats  in  execution,  ruin 
nauft  inevitably  have  been  the  confequence.  Governor 
Shirley,  finding  that  he  had  incurred  thefe  debts  for  the 
fervice  of  government,  made  arrangements  to  have  them 
difcharged,  and  releaied  Franklin  from  his  disagreeable 
fituation. 

The  alarm  fpread  through  the  colonies,  after  the  de 
feat  of  Braddock,  was  very  great.  Preparations  to  arm 
were  every  where  made.  In  Wnnfylvania,  the  preva 
lence  .of  thequaker  imereil  prevented  the  'adoption  of  any 
fyftern  of  defence  which  would  compel  the  citizens  to 
bear  arms.  Franklin  introduced  into  the  aifcml.ly  a  bill 
for  organizing  a  militia,  by  which  every  man  was  al 
lowed  to  take  arms  or  not,  as  to  him  fnould  appear  lit. 
The  quakers,  being  thus  left  at  liberty,  fuiiered  the  r,j.jl 
to  pafs;  for  although  their  principles  would  not 

them. 


.1 

to  fight,  they  had  no  objections  to  their  neighbours 
lighting  for  them.  In  eonfequenee  of  this  aft,  a  very 
refpedable  militia  was  formed.  The  fenfe  of  impending 
danger  iafufed  a  military  fpirit  in  all,  whofe  religious 
tenets  were  not  oppofed  to  war.  Franklin  was  appointed 
colonel  of  a  regiment  in  Philadelphia,  which  confifted 
of  i  zoo  men. 

The  north- w«ftern  frontier  being  invaded  by  the  ene 
my,  it  became  neceffary  to  adopt  meafures  for  its  de 
fence.  Franklin  was  directed  by  the  governor  to  take 
charge  of  this  bufinefs.  A  power  of  raifing  men,  and  of 
appointing  officers  to  command  them,  was  vefteel  in  him. 
He  foon  levied  a  body  of  troops,  with  which  he  repaired 
to  the  place  at  which  their  prefence  was  neceflary.  Here 
he  built  a  fort,  and  placed  the  garrifon  in  fuch  a  pofture 
of  defence,  ^s  would  enable  them  to  withstand  the  inroads 
to  which  the  inhabitants  had  previoufly  been  expofed. 
He  remained  here  for  fome  time,  in  order  the  more  com 
pletely  to  difcharge  ihe  truft  committed  to  him.  Some 
bufinefs  ef  importance  rendered  his  prefence  neceffary  in 
the  afTembly.  and  he  returned  to  Philadelphia. 

The  defence  of  her  colonies  was  a  great  expence  to 
Great- Britain.  The  moft  effec'taal  mode  of  leffening 
this  war  was,  to  put  arms  into  the  hands  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  to  teach  them  their  ufe.  But  England  wifhed  not 
that  the  Americans  Oiould  become  acquainted  with  their 
own  ilrength.  She  wasapprehenfive,  that,  as  foon  as  this 
period  arrived,  they  would  no  longer  fubmit  to  that  mo 
nopoly  of  their  trade,  which  to  them  was  highly  inju 
rious,  but  extremely  advantageous  to  the  mother  coun 
try.  In  comparifon  with  the  profits  of  this,  the  expence 
.  of  maintaining  armies  and  fleets  to  defend  them  was  tri 
fling.  She  fought  to  keep  them  dependent  upon  her  for 
protection,  the  bed  plan  which  could  b?.  devifed  for  re 
taining  them  in  peaceable  fubjeftion.  The  leaft  appear 
ance  of  a  military  fpirit  was  therefore  to  be  guarded 
againft,  and,  although  a  war  then  raged,  the  art  orga 
nizing  a  militia  was  difapprovccl  of  by  the  miniftry. 
The  regiments  which  had  been  formed  under  it,  were 
di(b.a»ded,  and  the  defence  of  the  province  en truiled  to 
regular  troops.  The 

K 


E      »o     J 

'Hie  difpntes  between  tfi'e  proprietaries  aird  the 
continued  in  foil  force,  '-alt-he  ugh  a  war  was  raging  on 
the  frontiers.  Not  ev«n  the  fenfe  of  danger  was  fufS- 
«ient  to  reconcile,  for  ever  fo  ihort  a  time,  their  jarring 
intercfts.  The  aflembly  Hill  infifted  upon  the  juitice  of 
taxing  the  proprietary  eftates,  but  the  governors  con- 
ftantly  refufed  to  give  their  a-ffent  to  this  meafure,  with- 
-•out  which  no  bill  could  pafs  into  a  law.  Enraged  at 
the  obftmacy,  and  what  they  conceived  to  be  unjuft  pro 
ceedings  of  their  opponents,  the  aflembly  at  length  de 
termined  to  apply  to  the  mother  country  for  relief.  A 
petition  was  addreffcd  to  the  king,  in  council,  dating 
the  inconveniences  under  which  the  inhabitants  laboured  5 
from  the  attention  of  the  proprietaries  to  their  private 
interefts,  to  the  neglect  of  the  general  welfare  of  the 
community,  and  praying  for  redrefs.  Franklin  was 
appointed  to  prefent  this  addrefs,  as  agent  for  the  pro 
vince  of  Pennsylvania,  and  departed  from  America  In 
June,  1757*  In  conformity  to  the  inftruifUons  which  he 
had  received  from  the  legiflature,  he  held  a  conference 
with  the  proprietaries,  who  then  refided  in  England,  and 
endeavoured  to  prevail  upon  them  to  give  up  the  long- 
contefted  point.  Finding  that  they  would  hearken  to 
no  terms  of  accommodation,  he  laid  his  petition  before 
the  council.  During  this  time,  governor  Denny  aflented 
to  a  law  impofing  a  tax,  in  which  no  difcrimination  was 
made  in  favour  of  the  eliates  of  the  Penn  family.  They, 
alirmed  at  this  intelligence,  and  Franklin's  exertions, 
wfed  their  utmoft  exertions  to  prevent  the  royai  fandion 
being  given  to  this  law,  which  they  represented  as  highly 
iniquitous,  defigned  to  throw  the  burden  of  fupporting 
government  on  them,  and  calculated  to  produce  the  molt 
ruinous  confequences  to  them  and  their  pofterity.  The 
catife  was  amply  difcufled  before  the  privy  council.  The 
Penrss  found  here  fome  ftrenous  advocates  ;  nor  were 
there  wanting  fome  who  warmly  efpoufed  the  fide  of  the 
people.  After  feme  time  fpent  in  debate,  a  propofal  was 
inade,  that  Franklin  fhould  foJemnly  engage,  that  the. 
•aJGTeifmont  of  the  tax  mould  be  fo  made,  as  that  the  pro- 
£>rietar/  efutes  Ikould  pay  no  more  than  a  due  propor 


ton 


tion.  This  he  agreed  to  perform,  the  Perm  family 
withdrew  their  oppofition,  and  tranquillity  was  thus  once 
more  reilored  to  the  province. 


more  reilored  to  the  provvuce. 

The  mode  in  which  this  difpute  was  terminated  is  a 
ftriking  proof  of  the  high  opinion  entertained  of  Frank- 
Tin's  integrity  and  honour,  even  by  thofe  who  coufide-retl 
hitn  as  inimical  to  their  views.  Nor  was  their  confiJknce 
ill- founded.  The  aiTeSmsnt  was  made  upon  the  ftn&eft 
principles  of  equity  ;  and  the  proprietary  eftates  bore 
only  a  proportionable  fliare  of  the  expenccs  oi  fupport- 
ing  government. 

After  the  completion  of  this  important  bufmefs, 
Franklin  remained  at  tha  court  of  Great- Britain,  as 
agent  for  the  province  of  Pennfylvania.  The  extensive 
knowledge  which  he  poffefled  of  the  fi.luation  of  the  co- 
jonies,  and  the  regard  which  he  always  manifefled  for 
their  interests,  occauoned  his  appointment  to  the  fame 
cilice  by  the  colonies  of  Maflachufetts,  Maryland  and 
Georgia.  His  conduct,  in  this  lituation,  was  fuch  aa 
rendered  him  ftill  more  dear  to  his  countrymen. 

He  had  now  an  opportunity  of  indulging  in  the  fociety 
ef  thofe  friends,  whom  his  merits  had  procured  him 
while  at  a  difta-nce.  The  regard  which  thay  had  enter 
tained  for  him  was  rather  incrcafed  by  a  perfonal  ac 
quaintance.  The  eppofition  which  had  been  made  to 
bis  difcoveries  in  philofophy  gradually  ceafed,  and  the 
rewards  of  literary  merit  were  abundantly  conferred 
wpon  him.  The  royal  fociefy  of  London,  which  had  ?,t 
firft  refufed  his  performances  admiffion  into  its  tranfac- 
tions,  now  thought  it  an  honour  to  rank  him  among  ua 
fellows.  Other  ibcieties  of  Europe  were  equally  ambi 
tious  of  calling  him  a  member.  The  univerfity  of  St. 
Andrew's,  in  Scotland,  conferred  upon  him  the  degree 
of  Doftor  of  Laws.  Its  example  was  followed  by  the 
tmiveriities  of  Edinburgh  and  of  Oxford.  His  cor  re  i'- 
poadence  was  fought  for  by  the  moft  eminent  philoso 
phers  of  Europe.  His  letters  to  thefe  abound  with  tru* 
fcience,  delivered  in  the  moft  finiple  tmadorncd  rnaniier, 

The  province  of  Canada  was  at  this  time  in  the  po4- 

lefiba  of  the  French,  who  had  originally  fettled  ir,    'Yl.*; 

K  a  trade. 


trade  with  the  Indians,  for  which  its  fituatron  wss  very 
convenient,  was  exceedingly  lucrative.  The  French 
traders  here  found  a  market  for  their  commodities,  and 
received  in  return  large  quantities  of  rich  furs,  which 
they  difpofed  of  at  a  high  price  in  Europe.  Whilft  the 
pofleffion  of  this  country  was  highly  advantageous  to 
France,  it  was  a  grievous  inconvenience  to  the  inhabi 
tants  of  the  Britifh  colonies.  The  Indians  were  almoit 
f^nerally  defirous  to  cultivate  the  friendfhip  of  the 
reach,  by  whom  they  were  abundantly  fuppHed  with 
arms  and  ammunition.  Whenever  a  war  happened,  the 
.Indians  were  ready  to  fall  upon  the  frontiers  :  and  this 
they  frequently  did,  even  when  Great- Britain  and 
France  were  at  peace.  From  thefe  confiderations,  it 
appeared  to  be  the  intereft  of  Great- Britain  to  gain  the 
pofleifion  of  Canada.  But  the  importance  of  fuch  aa 
acquisition  was  not  well  underftood  in  England.  Frank 
lin  about  this  time  publilhed  his  Canada  pamphlet,  in 
which  he,  in  a  very  forcible  manner,  pointed  out  the 
advantages  which  would  refult  from  the  conqueft  of  thite 
province. 

An  expedition  agaircft  it  was  planned,  and  the  com 
mand  given  to  General  Wolfe.  His  fuccefs  is  welt 
known.  At  the  treaty  in  1762,  France  ceded  Canada 
to  Great- Britain,  and  by  her  ceffion  of  Louifiana,  at  the 
fame  tirnr,  relinquimed  ail  her  poi&fiions  on  the  conti 
nent  of  America. 

Although  Dr.  Franklin  was  now  principally  occupied 
with  political  purfuits,  he  found  time  for  pfeilofophical 
ftudies.  He  extended  his  electrical  refearches,  and  raade 
a  variety  of  experiments,  particularly  on  the  tourmalin. 
The  fmgular  properties  which  this  ftone  poffeffes  of  he- 
ing  electrified  on  one  fide  pofltively  and  on  the  other 
negatively,  by  heat  alone,  without  friftion,  had  been 
but  lately  obferved. 

Some  experiments  on  the  cold  produced  by  evapora 
tion,  made  by  Dr.  Cullen,  had  been  communicated  to 
Dr.  Franklin  by  ProfefTor  Simpfon  of  Glafgow.  Thefe 
he  repeated,  and  found,  that,  By  the  evaporation  of  ether 
in  the  exhaulied  receiver  of  an  air-pump,  fo  great  a  de 
gree 


\     "3      3 

gree  of  cold  was  produced  in  a  famraer's  day,  thatwatej* 
was  converted  into  ice.  This  difcovery  he  applied  to 
the  folution  of  a  number  of  phenomena,  particularly  a 
Singular  fa  ft,  which  philofophers  had  endeavoured  J'R 
vain  to  account  for,  viz.  that  rhe  temperature  of  the  hu 
man  body,  when  in  health,  never  exceeds  96  degrees  of 
Fahrenheit's  thermometer,  although  theattoofphere  which 
furrounds  it  may  be  heated  to  a  much  greater  degree. 
This  he  attributed  to  the  increafed  perfpi ration,  anU 
confequent  evaporation,  produced  by  the  heat. 

In  a  letver  to  Mr.  Small  of  London,  dated  in  May, 
1760,  Dr.  Franklin  makes  a  number  of  obfervation$> 
tending  to  (hew  that,  in  North-America,  north-eaft 
ftorms  begin  in  the  fouth-weft  parts.  It  appears,  from 
adtual  observation,  that  a-  north-eaft  ftorm,  which  ex 
tended  a  considerable  diftance,  commenced  at  Philadel 
phia  nearly  four  hours  before  it  was  felt  at  Bofton.  He 
endeavoured  to  account  for  this,  by  fappofing  that,  from 
heat,  fome  refraclion  takes  place  about  the  gulph  of 
Mexico,  that  the  air  further  north  being  cooler  rufhes 
in,  and  is  fucceeded  by  the  cooler  and  denfer  air  ft  ill 
further  north,  and  thus  a  continued  current  is  at  length, 
produced. 

The  tone  produced  by  rubbing  the  brim  of  a  drinking 
glafs  with  a  v/et  linger  had  been  generally  known.  A 
Mr«  Puckeridge,  an  Irifhman,  by  placing  on  a  table  a 
number  of  glares  of  different  fi'zes,  and  tuning  them  by 
partly  filling  them  with  water,,  endeavoured  to  form  an 
inftrument  capable  of  playing  tunes.  He  was  prevented, 
by  an  untimely  end,  from  bringing  his  invention  to  any 
degree  of  perfection.  After  his  death  forrre  improvements 
were  made  upon  his  plan.  The  fweetnefs  of  the  tones 
induced  Dr.  Franklin  to  make  a  variety  of  experiments ; 
and  he  at  length  formed  that  elegant  inftrument,  which 
he  has  called  the  Armoxidi. 

In  the  fummer  of  1 762  he  returned  to  America.  On 
his  paifage  he  obferved  the  frngular  effeci  produced  by 
the  agitation  of  a  veficl,  containing  oil  .floating  on  water. 
The  furface  of  the  oil  remains  fmooth  and  undifturbed, 
whilft  the  water  is  agitated  with  the  mmoft  cormnotion. 
K  3  No 


[      "4      ] 

No  fatisfa^ory  explanation  of  this  appearance  has,  we 
believe,  ever  been  given. 

Dr.  Franklin  received  the  thanks  of  the  afTembly  of 
Pennfylvania,  "  as  well  for  the  faithful  difcharge  of  his 
duty  to  that  province  in  particular,  as  for  the  many  and 
important  ferviccs  done  to  America  in  general,  during 
his  relidence  in  Great- Britain."  A  compenfation  of 
500©!.  Pennfylvania  currency,  was  aifo  decreed  him  for 
bis  fervices  during  fix  years. 

During  his  abfence  he  had  been  annually  ele^ed 
member  of  the  affembly.  On  his  return  to  Pennfylva- 
ma  he  again  took  his  feat  in  this  body,  and  continued 
a  Heady  defender  of  the  liberties  of  the  people. 

•In  December,  1762,  a  circumftance  which  caufed 
great  alarm  in  the  province  took  place.  A  number  of 
Indians  had  reftded  in  the  country  at  Lancaster,  and 
conducted  themfelves  uniformly  as  friends  to  the  white 
inhabitants.  Repeated  depredations  on  the  frontiers  had 
exafperated  the  inhabitants  to  fuch  a  degree,  that  they 
determined  to  revenge  upon  every  Indian.  A  number 
cf  perfons,  to  the  aniouut  of  120,  principally  inhabit 
ants  of  Donnegal  and  Peckftang  or  Paxton  townfhips^ 
in  the  county  of  York,  afl'embled ;  a>nd,  mounted  on 
fccrfebatk,  proceeded  to  the  fettlement  of  thefe  harmlefs 
and  dcfencelefs  Indians,  whofe  number  was  now  reduced 
,lo  about  twenty.  The  Indians  received  intelligence  of 
the  attack  which  was  intended  againft  them,  but  difbe- 
Jieved  it.  Confide  ring  the  white  people  as  their  friends, 
they  apprehended  no  danger  from  them.  When  the 
party  arrived  at  the  Indian  fettlement,  they  found  only 
fome  wcnien  and  children,  and  a  few  old  men,  the  reit 
being  abfcut  at  work.  They  murdered  all  whom  they 
found,  and  amongft  others  the  chief  Shahaes,  who  liad 
been  always  diiHnguifhed  for  his  friendlhip  to  the  whites. 
This  Moody  deed  excited  much  indignation  in  the  well- 
difpofed  part  of  the  corn-inunity. 

The  remainder  of  thefe  unfortunate  Indians,  who,  by 
abfence,  had  efcaped  the  maffacre,  were  conducted  to  Lan» 
carter,  and  lodged  in  the  jail,  as  a  place  of  fe~iarity. 
The  governor  iffued  a  prcdamauon  exprefiing  tjie  itrong- 


r  ^5  ] 

eft  diftpprobation  of  the  aftion,  offering  a  reward  for 
the  difcovery  of  the  perpetrators  of  the  deed,  and  pro* 
hibicing  all  injuries  to  the  peaceable  Indians  in  future. 
But  tsotwithftaniing  this,  a  part/  of  the  fame  men  (hort- 
ly  after  marched  to  Lancafter,  broke  open  the  jail,  and 
inhumanly  butchered  the  innocent  Indiana  who  had  been 
placed  there  for  fecirrity.  Another  proclamation  was 
iflued,  but  had  no  effecl.  A  detachment  marched  down 
to  Philadelphia,  for  the  exprefs  purpofe  of  murdering 
fome  friendly  Indians,  who  had  been  removed  to  the  ci 
ty  for  &fcty»  A  number  of  the  citizens  armed  in  their 
defence.  The  Quakers,  whofe  principles  are  oppofed  to 
fighting,  even  in  their  own  defence,  were  moft  aclive  up-, 
on  this  occafion.  The  rioters  came  to  Germantown.  The 
governor  fled  for  fafety  to  the  houfe  of  Dr.  Franklin, 
who,  wiih  fome  others,  advanced  to  meet  the  Paxtoa 
boys,  as  they  were  called,  and  had  influence  enough  to 
prevail  upon  them- to  relinquifh  their  undertaking,  aad 
return  to  their  homes. 

The  difpates  between  the  proprietaries  and  theaflembtyy 
which,  for  a  time,  had  fubfided,  were  again  revived. 
The  proprietaries  were  dhTatisfied  with  the  conceflions 
made  in  favour  of  the  people,  and  made  great  ftraggles 
to  recover  the  privilege  of  exempting  their  eftatcs  iron., 
taxation,  which  they  had  been  induced  to  give  up. 

In  1763  the  aflembly  pafTed  a  militia  bill,  to  which  the' 
governor  refufed  to  give  his  affent,  unlefs  the  afieinbty 
would  -agree  to  certain  amendments  which  he  propofed. 
Thefe  confuted  in  increafmg  the  fines,  and,  in  fome  caf 
es,  fubftituting  death  for  fines*  He  wifhed  too  that  the. 
officers  (hould  be  appointed  altogether  by  himfelf,  and 
not  be  nominated  by  the  people,  as  the  bill  had  propof 
ed.  Thefe  amendments  the  aftembly  confidered  as  in- 
confiftent  with  tha  fpiric  of  liberty.  They  would  not 
adopt  them  ;  the  governor  was  obftinate,  and  the  bill 
was  loft. 

Thefe,  and  various  other  circumfiances,  increa&d  the 
uneafinefs  which  fubiifted  between  the  proprietaries  and 
the  affembly,  to  fuch  a  degree,  that,  in  1764,  a  petition 
ta  tht  lung  wa*  agreed  to  by  the  houfe,^  pray  ing  an  ai- 

teiaiiom 


C     t.6     ] 

teratica  frsra'  a  proprittarj  to  a  regal  g 
Great  oppofttio<n  was  made  ro  this  meaiure,  not  only  m 
the  houfe  b\it  in  the  public  prints.  A  fpeevh  of  Mr. 
Dickinfon,  on  the  fabjeft,  was  published,  with  a  preface 
lay  Dr.  Smith,  in  which  great  pains  were  taken  to  ibew 
the  impropriety  and  impolicy  of  this  proceeding.  A 
ipeech  of  Mr.  Galloway  in  reply  to  Mr.  Dickinfon  was 
publiflied,  accompanied  with  a  preface  by  Dr.  Franklin; 
in  which  he  ably  cppofed  the  principles  laid  down  in 
tfee  preface  to  Mr.  Dickinfon's  fpeech.  'i  his- appli 
cation  to  the  throne  produced  no  eireft.  The  proprie 
tary  government  was  ftill  continued. 

At  the  eleftioa  for  a  new  aflembly,  in  the  fall  of  1 764* 
the  friends  of  the  proprietaries  made  great  exertions  co 
exclude  thofe  of  the  adverfe  party,  and  obtained  a  finall 
majority  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  Franklin  now  loft 
his  feat  in  the  hogfe*.  which  he  had  held  for.  fourteen 
years.  On  the  meeting  of  the  aflembly,  it  appeared  t-hat 
there  was  ftill  a  decided  majority  of  Franklin's  friends. 
He  was  immediately  appointed  provincial  ageat,  to  the 
great  chagrin  of  his  enemies,  who  made  a  folemn  proteft 
againft  his  appointment;  which  was  refufed  adn}iffiori 
upon  the  minutes,  ae  being  unprecedented.  It  was,  how 
ever,  pabliftieil  in  the  papers,  and  produced  a  fpirited 
reply  from  him,  jiift  before  his  departure  f-r  England* 

The  difturbances  produced  in  America  by  Mr.  Gren- 
ville's  ftarap  aft.  and  the  oppofi'ion  made  to  it,  are  well 
known.  Under  the  marquis  cf  Rockingham's  admin- 
iftration,  it  appeared  expedient  to  endeavour  to  calm  the 
minds  of  the  c  loniils ;  and  the  repeal  of  the  odious  tax 
was  contemplated.  Amongft  other  means  of  collecting 
information  on  the  difpofnion  of  the  people  to  fubmit  to 
it,  Dr.  Franklin  was  called  to  the  bar  of  the  houfe  of 
commons.  The  examination  which  he  here  underwent 
was  published,  and  contains  a  ftriking  proof  of  the  ex 
tent  and  accuracy  of  his  information,,  and  the  facility 
with  which  he  communicated  his  fentitr.cnts.  He  repre- 
fented  fafts  in  fo  ftrong  a  point  of  view,  that  the  inex 
pediency  of  the  aft  m«ft  have  appeared  clear  to  e^ery  un 
prejudiced  raiod,.  TJae  aii,  after  fyifie  apportion,  was 

repealed^ 


c  "7  r 

repealed,  about  a  year  after  it  was  enabled,  and  before  k 
had  ever  been  carried  into  execution. 

In  the  year  1766,  he  made  a  vifit  to  Holland  and 
Germany,  and  received  the  greateft  marks  of  attention 
from  men  of  fcience.  In  his  paflage  through  Holland, 
he  learned  from  the  watermen  the  effect  which  a  diminu 
tion  of  the  quantity  of  water  in  canals  has,  in  impeding 
the  progrefs  of  boats*  Upon  his  return  to  England,  he 
was  led  to  make  a  number  of  experiments  ;  all  of  which, 
tended  to  confirm  the  obfervatioa.  Thefe,  with  aa  ex 
planation  of  the  phenomenon,  he  communicated  in  a  let 
ter  to  his  friend,  Sir  John  Pringle,  which  is  contained  in 
the  volume  of  his  philofophical  pieces. 

In  the  following  year  he  travelled  into  France,  where 
he  met  with  a  no  iefs  favourable  reception  than  he  had 
experienced  in  Germany.  He  was  introduced  to  a  num 
ber  of  literary  characters,  and  to  the  king,  Louis  XV. 

Several  letters,  written  by  Hutchinfon,  Oliver,  and 
others,  to  perfons  in  eminent  ftations  in  Great- Britain, 
came  into  the  hands  of  Dr.  Franklin. 

Thefe  contained  the  moft  violent  inveclives  againft 
the  leading  characters  of  the  State  of  Maffachufetts,  and 
ftrenuoujly  advifed  theprofecution  of  vigorous  meafures, 
to  compel  the  people  to  obedience  to  the  roeafures  of  the 
miniftry.  Thefe  he  tranfmitted  to  the  legiflature,  by 
whom  they  were  publimed.  Attefted  copies  cf  them 
were  fent  to  Great-Britain,  with  an  addrefs,  praying 
the  king  to  difcharge  from  office  perfons  who  had  ren 
dered  therafelves  fo  obnoxious  to  the  people,  and  who 
had  (hewn  thernfelves  fo  unfriendly  to  their  interefts. 
The  publication  of  thefe  letters  produced  a  duel  between 
Mr. Whately  and  Mr. Temple  ;  each  of  whom  was  fuf- 
pefted  of  having  been  inihu  mental  in  procuring  them. 
To  prevent  any  further  difputea  on  this  fubjecl,  Dr. 
Franklin,  in  one  of  the  public  papers,  declared  that  he 
had  fent  th«m  to  America,  but  would  give  no  informa 
tion  concerning  the  manner  in  which  he  had  obtained 
them  ;  nor  was  this  ever  difcovered. 

Shortly  after,  the  petition  of  the  Mafiachnferts  aflem- 
bly  was  taken  up  fur  examination,  before  the  privy 

council* 


I     "8      J 

council.  Dr.  Franklin  attended,  as  agent  for  the  silertf* 
bly  ;  and  here  a  torrent  of  the  moft  violent  and  unwar 
ranted  abufe  was  poured  upon  him  by  the  folicitor-gen- 
eral,  Wedderburne,  who  was  engaged  as  council  for 
Oliver  aad  Hutchiufon.  The  petition  was  declared  to 
be  fcandalous  and  vexatious,  and  the  prayer  of  it  re- 
fufed. 

Although  the  parliament  of  Great- Britain  had  repeal 
ed  the  ftamp-ad,  it  was  only  upon  thr  principle  of  ex 
pediency.  They  ftill  infifted  upon  their  right  to  tax  the 
colonies;  and,  at  the  fame  time  that  the  itamp-aft  was 
repealed,  an  ad  was  pafFed,  declaring  the  right  of  par 
liament  to  bind  the  colonies  in  all  cafes  whatfoever. 
This  language  was  ufed  even  by  the  raoft  ftrenuous  op- 
pofers  of  the  (lamp-ad  ;  and,,  arnongft  others,  by  Mr. 
Pitt.  This  right  was  never  recogaizea  by  thecolonifts  ; 
but,  as  they  flattered  themfelves  that  it  would  not  be 
exercifed,  they  were  not  very  aftive  in  rernonftrating 
againil  it.  Had  this  pretended  right  been  fufFered  to 
remain  dormant,  the  colonifts  would  cheerfully  have 
finifhed  their  quota  of  fupplies,,  in  the  mode  to  which 
they  had  been  accuftomed  ;  that  is,  by  acls  of  their  own 
aflemblies,  in  confequence  of  requifuions  from  the  fee  ro 
tary  of  ftate.  If  this  practice  had  been  purfued,  fuch 
was  the  difpofition  of  the  colonies  towards  the  mother 
country,  that,  notwithstanding  the  difadvantages  under 
which  they  laboured,  from  restraints  upon  their  trade, 
calculated  folely  for  the  benefit  of  the  commercial  and 
manufacturing  interefts  cf  Great- Britain,  a  fepaiation  of 
the  two  countries  might  have  been  a  far  diftant  event- 
The  Americans,  from  their  earlieft  infancy,  were  taught 
to  venerate  a  people  from  whom  they  were  defcended  ; 
whofe  language,  laws  and  manners,  were  the  fame  as 
their  own.  They  looked  up  to  them  as  models  of  per 
fection  ;  and,  in  their  prejudiced  minds,  the  moil  en 
lightened  nations  of  Europe  were  confidered  as  almoil 
barbarians,  in  comparifon  with  Englilhmea.  The  name 
of  an  Englifhman  conveyed  to  an  American  the  idea  of 
every  thing  goo«!  and  great.  Such  fentiments  inftill«d 
them  ia  early  life,,  what  bm  a  repetiiion  of  unjwft 

ti^atment 


t 

treatment  coold  have  induced  them  to  entertain  the  moll 
diftant  thought  of  feparation  !  The  duties  on  giafs,  pa- 
per,  leather,  painter's  colours,  tea,  &c.  the  disfranchne- 
raent  of  fome  of  the  colonies  ;  the  obflruftion  to  the 
meafures  of  the  legiflature  in  others,  by  the  king's  gov- 
«rnors  ;  the  contemptuous  treatment  of  their  humble  re- 
raonftrances,  flating  their  grievances  and  praying  a  re- 
drefs  of  them,  and  other  violent  and  oppreffive  meafures, 
at  length  excited  an  ardent  fpirit  of  o'ppofition.  Inilead 
of  endeavouring  to  allay  this  by  a  more  lenient  conduct, 
the  miuiftry  feemed  refolutely  bent  upon  reducing  the 
colonies  to  the  moll  ilavifh  obedience  to  their  decrees. 
But  this  tended  only  to  aggravate.  Vain  were  all  the 
efforts  made  afe  of  to  prevail  upon  them  to  lay  afide 
their  defigns,  to  convince  them  of  the  impoffibiiity  of 
carrying  them  into  erfeft,  and  of  the  miichievous  confe- 
<rjuences  which  muft  enfue  from  a  continuance  of  the  at* 
tempt.  They  perfevered,  with  a  degree  of  inflexibility 
fcarcely  paralleled. 

The  advantages  v>hich  Great-Britain  derived  from  her 
colonies  were  ib  great,  that  nothing  but  a  degree  of  in 
fatuation,  little  ihort  of  madnefs,  could  have  produced  a 
continuance  of  vneafares  calculated  to  keep  up  a  fpirit  of 
uneafmefs,  which  might  occafion  the  flighted  vviih  for  a 
feparation.  When  we  confid^r  the  great  improvements 
in  the  fcience  of  government,  the  genera'  diifuiion  of  the 
principles  of  liberty  amongil  the  people  of  Europe,  the 
effects  nhich  thefe  have  already  produced  in  France,  and 
the  probable  confequences  which  will  refult  from  them 
elfewhcre,  all  of  which  are  the  offspring  of  the  Ameriean 
revolution,  it  cannot  but  appear  ftrange,  that  events  of 
ib  great  moment  to  the  happinefs  of  mankind,  fhould 
have  been  ultimately  occafioned  by  the  wickednefs  or 
ignorance  of  a  tfritifn  miniftry. 

Dr.  Franklin  left  nothing  untried  to  prevail  Hpon  the 
miniilry  to  eonfent  to  a  change  of  meafures.  In  private 
coaverfatir.ns,  aad  in  letters  to  perfons  in  government,  he 
continually  expatiated  upon  the  impolicy  and  injuftice  of 
their  conduct  towards  America  ;  and  ftated,  that,  not- 
in£  the  attachment  of  tfic  colonifts  to  the  mo 
ther 


[ 


rz 


tfher  country,  a  repetition  of  ill-treatment  muft  •ultimately 
alienate  their  affcclions.  They  liftened  rot  to  his  advice. 
They  blindly  perfevered  in  their  own  fchemes,  and  let: 
to  the  colonffts  no  alternative,  but  apportion  or  uncon 
ditional  fubmifllon.  The  latter  accorded  not  with  the 
principles  of  freedom,  which  they  had  been  taught  to 
yevere.  To  the  former  they  were  compelled,  though 
zehi&antly,  to  .have  recourfe. 

Dr.  Franklin,  finding  all  efforts  to  reflore  harmony 
between  Qreat-  Britain  and  her  colonies  ufelefs,  returned 
to  America  in  the  year  1775-  ;  juft  after  the  commence 
ment  of  hoftilhies.  The  day  after  his  return  he  was 
elecled  by  the  Jegiflature  of  Pennfylvania  a  member  of 
«cngrefs.  Not  long  after  his  election,  a  committee  wa$ 
appointed,  contlfting  of  Mr.  Lynch,  Mr.  Harrifon  and 
fcimfelf,  to  vifit  the  camp  at  Cambridge,  and  in  conjunc 
tion  with  the  commander  in  chief,  to  endeavour  ro  con 
vince  the  troops,  whofe  term  of  enliftment  was  about  to 
expire,  of  the  neceflity  of  rheir  continuing  in  the  field, 
and  perfevering  in  thecaufe  of  their  country. 

In  the  fall  of  the  fame  year  he  vifited  Canada,  to  en 
deavour  to  unite  them  in  the  common  eaufe  of  liberty  ; 
but  they  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  eppofe  the  mea- 
fures  of  the  Britifh  government.  M.  Le  Roy,  in  a  letter 
annexed  to  Abbe  Fauchet's  eulogium  of  Dr,  Frankjin, 
ftates  that  the  ill  fuccefs  of  this  negociation  was  occa- 
fioned,  in  a  great  degree,  by  religious  animofities,  which 
fubfifted  between  the  Canadians  and  rheir  neighbours, 
fome  of  whom  had  at  differeat  times  burnt  their  cha- 
|>els. 

When  Lord  Howe  came  to  America,  in  1776,  vefied 
with  power  to  treat  with  the  coloniils,  a  correfpondence 
took  place  between  him  and  Dr.  Franklin,  on  thefubjec't 
of  a  reconciliation.  Dr.  Franklin  was  afterwards  ap 
pointed,  together  with  John  Adams  and  Edward  Rut- 
ledge,  to  wait  upon  the  commiffioners,  in  order  to  learn 
the  extent  of  their  power.  Thefe  were  found  to  be  on 
ly  to  grant  pardons  upon  fubrniilion.  Thefe  were  terms 
which  would  not  be  accepted  ;  and  the  objcdl  of  the 
comrm&ORer*  could  not  be  obtained. 

The 


The  momcntom  queftion  of  independence  was 
sifter'  brought  into  view  ;  at  a  time  when  the  fleets  and 
Armies,  which  were  fent  to  enforce  obedience,  were  truly 
formidable.  With  an  army,  numerous  indeed,  but  ig 
norant  of  difcipline,  and  entirely  unikilled  in  the  art  of 
\var,  without  money,  without  a  fleet,  without  allies,  and 
\vi\\i  nothing  but  the  leve  of  liberty  to  fupport  them,  the 
colonifts  determined  to  feparate  from  a  country  from 
which, they  had  experienced  a  repetition  of  injury  and 
infult.  In  this  queftion,  Dr.  Franklin  was  decidedly  in 
favour  of  the  meafure  propofed,  and  had  great  inHuence 
in  bringing  over  others  to  his  fenti-ments. 

The  public  mind  had  been  pretty  fully  prepared  for 
this  event,  by  Mr.  Paine's  celebrated  pamphlet,  Common 
benfc.  There  is  good  reafon  to  believe  that  Dr.  Frank 
lin  had  no  inconfiderable  fhare,  at  leaft,  in  furnifhing 
materials  for  this  work. 

In  the  convention  which  aflembled  at  Philadelphia  in 
1 776,  for  the  pnrpofe  of  eftab  liming  a  new  form  of  gov 
ernment  for  the  ftate  of  Pennfylvania,  Dr.  Franklin  was 
chofen  prefident.  The  late  conftitution  of  this  (late, 
which  was  the  reftilt  of  their  deliberations,  may  be  con- 
fidered  as  a  digeft  of  his  principles  of  government.  The 
Angle  legillature,  and  the  plural  executive,  feern  to  have 
been  his  favourite  tenets. 

In  the  latter  end  of  1776,  Dr.  Franklin  was  appointed 
to  afliil  in  the  negociations  which  had  been  fet  on  foot 
*by  Silas  Deane  at  the  court  of  France.  A  conviction  of 
the  advantages  of  a  commercial  intercourfe  with  Ameri 
ca,  and  a  deiire  of  weakening  the  Britifli  empire  by  dif- 
menibering  it,  firft  induced  the  French  court  to  liften  to 
propofals  of  an  alliance.  But  they  mewed  rather  a  re- 
luftance  to  the  meafure,  which,  by  Dr.  Franklin's  ad- 
Orel's,  and  particularly  by  the  fuccefs  of  the  American 
arms  againft  general  Burgoyne,  was  at  length  overcome; 
and  in  February  1778,  a  treaty  of  alliance,  rffenfive  and 
defensive,  was  concluded;  in  cdnfequence  of  which, 
France  became  involved  in  the  war  with  Great- Britain. 

Perhaps  no  perfon  could  have  been  found,  more  capa 
ble  of  rendering  effcntial  fen  ices  to  the  United  States  at 
L  the 


t         122        ] 

the  court  of  France,  than  Dr.  Franklin.  He  was  wdl 
known  as  a  pbflofopher,  and  his  character  was  held  in 
the  higheit  efticoation.  He  was  received  with  the  great- 
eft  marks  of  refpecl  by  all  the  literary  characters  ;  and 
this  refpect  was  extended  amongft  all  claiTes  of  men. 
His  perfonal  influence  was  hence  very  coniiderable.  To 
the  effects  of  this  were  added  thofe  of  various  perform 
ances  which  he  published,  tending  to  eftablifh  the  credit 
and  character  of  the  United  States.  To  his  exertions  in 
this  way,  may,  in  no  fmall  degree,  be  afcribed  the  fuc- 
cefs  of  the  loans  negociated  in  Holland  and  France, 
which  greatly  contributed  to  bringing  the  war  to  a  hap 
py  conclufion. 

The  repeated  ill  fuccefs  of  their  arms,  and  more  par 
ticularly  the  capture  of  Cornwallis  and  his  army,  at 
length  convinced  the  Britifh  nation  of  the  impofiibility 
of  reducing  the  Americans  to  fubjeftion.  The  trading 
tr.tereft  particularly  became  very  clamorous  for  peace. 
The  miniftry  were  unable  longer  to  oppofe  their  wifhes. 
Provincial  articles  of  peace  were  agreed  to,  and  figned  at 
Paris  on  the  joth  of  November,  1782,  by  Dr.  Franklin, 
Mr.  Adams,  Mr.  Jay,  and  Mr.  Laurens,  on  the  part  of 
the  United  States  ;  and  by  Mr.  Ofvvald  on  the  part  of 
Great-Britain,  Thefe  formed  the  bafis  of  the  definitive 
treaty,  which  was  concluded  the  30th  of  September, 
1783,  and  figned  by  Dr.  Franklin,  Mr.  Adams  and  Mr. 
Jay,  on  the  one  part,  and  by  Mr.  David  Hartley  on  the 
ether. 

On  the  3d  of  April  1783,  a  treaty  of  amity  and  com 
merce,  between  the  United  States  and  Sweden,  was  con 
cluded  at  Paris,  by  Dr.  Franklin  and  the  Count  Von 
Krutz. 

A  fimilar  treaty  with  Pruffia  was  concluded  in  1785, 
not  long  before  Dr.  Franklin's  departure  from  Europe. 

Dr.  Franklin  did  not  fufFer  his  political  purfuits  to 
engrofs  his  whole  attention.  Some  of  his  performances 
made  their  appearance  ia  Paris.  TI«e  object  of  thefe 
was  generally  the  promotion  of  induftry  and  economy. 

In  the  year  1784,  when  animal  magnetifm  made  great 
noife  in  the  world,  particularly  at  Paris,  it  was  thought 


a  matter  of  fuch  importance,  that  the  king  appointed 
comraifiioners  to  examine  into  the  foundation  of  this 
pretended  fcience.  Dr.  Franklin  was  one  of  the  num 
ber.  After  a  fair  and  diligent  examination,  in  the 
courfe  of  which  Mefmer  repeated  a  number  of  experi 
ments,  ia  the  prefcnce  of  tke  commiilioners,  fome  of 
\vhich  were  tried  upon  thcmfelves,  they  determined  that 
it  was  a  mere  trick,  intended  to  impofa  upon  the  igno 
rant  and  credulous- Mefmer  was  thus  interrupted  in  hfs 
cajreer  to  wealth  and  faije,  and  a  moft  infolent  attempt 
'  to  impofe  upon  the  human  underftanding  baffled. 

The  important  ends  of  Dr.  Franklin's  million  being 
completed  by  the  eftablimment  of  American  indepen 
dence,  and  the  infirmities  of  age  and  difeafe  coming  up 
on  him,  he  became  deii.ious  of  returning  to  his  native 
country.  Upon  application  to  congrefs  to  be  recalled, 
Mr.  JefFerfon  was  appointed  to  fucceed  him,  in  1785* 
.Some  time  in  September  of  the  fame  year,  Dr.  Franklin 
arrived  in  Philadelphia.  He  wa.s  ftiortly  after  chofen 
a  member  of  the  fupreme  executive  council  for  the  city ; 
and  foon  after  was  elected  prefident  of  the  ftate. 

When  a  convention  was  called  to  meet  in  Philadel 
phia,  in  1787,  for  the  purpofe  of  giving  more  energy 
to  the  government  of  the  union,  by  revifmg  and  amend 
ing  the  articles  of  confederation,  Dr.  Franklin  was  ap 
pointed  a  delegate  from  the  ftate  of  Pennfylvania.  He 
'  figned  the  constitution  which  they  propofed  for  the  un 
ion,  and  gave  it  the  rnoft  unequivocal  marks  of  his  ap 
probation. 

A  fociety  for  political  inquiries,  of  which  Dr.  Frank 
lin  was  prefident,  was  eftablifhed  about  this  period.  The 
meetings  were  held  at  his  houfe.  Two  or  three  effays 
read  in  the  fociety  were  published.  It  did  not  long 
continue. 

In  the  year  1787,  two  focieties  were  eflablifiied  in 
Philadelphia,  fouaded  on  principles  of  the  moil  liberal 
and  refined  humanity — the  Philadelphia  Society  for  alle- 
"jiatiug  the  mjferies  rf  public  prifons  •  and  the  Pennfylya- 
nia  Society  for  promoting  the  abolition  of  jla--jerjt  the  re- 
^icf  °f  f)f*  negroes  unlawfully  hdd  in  bondage,  and  tJst 
L  2  iifl  />;•';•'!•'  : 


C      «4      I 

improvement  of  the  condition  of  the  African  race.  Of  cadi 
of  theie*  Dr.  Franklin  was  prefident.  The  labours  of 
thefe  bodies  have  been  crowned  with  great  fuccefs :  and 
they  continue  to  profccute,  with  unwearied  diligence, 
the  laudablfe  defigns  for  which  they  were  iaftitutcd. 

Dr.  Franklin's  increafing  infirmities  prevented  his  re 
gular  attendance  at  tlfe  council-chamber  j  and,  in  178*,. 
he  retired  wholly  from  public  life. 

His  conlHtution  had  been  a  remarkably  good  one. 
He  had  been  little  fubjed  to  difeafe,  except  an  attack, 
of  the  gout  occasionally,  until  the  year  17^1,  when  he 
was  nrft  attacked  with  the  fymptoms  of  the  calculous 
complaint,  which  continued  during  his  life.  During 
the  intervals  of  pain  from  this  grievous  difeafe,  he  fpent 
many  cheerful  hours,  converfing  in  the  moft  agreeable 
und  inftrudive  manner.  His  faculties  were  entirely  un 
impaired,  even-  to  the  hour  of  his  death. 

Hi*  name,  as  prefident  of  the  Abolition  Society,  was 
figned  to  the  memorial  prefented  to  the  Houfeof  Rcpi,- 
fentadves  of  the  United  States,  on  the  izth  of  February, 
1789,  praying  them  to  exert  the  full  extent  of  power 
vefted  in  them  by  the  conflitution,  in  difcouraging  tlie 
trafftck  of  the  human  fpecies.  This  was  his  laft  public 
ad.  In  the  debates  to  which  this  memorial  gave  rife, 
feveral  attempts  were  made  to  jollify  the  trade.  In  the 
Federal  Gazette  of  March  25th,  there  appeared  ancilay, 
iigncd  Hiftoricus,  written  by  Dr.  Franklin,  in  which  he 
communicated  a  fpeech,  faid  to  have  been  delivered  in 
the  Divan  of  Algiers  in  1687,  inoppofition  to  the  prayer 
of  the  petition  of  a  fed  called  Erika,  or  purifts,  for  the 
abolition  of  piracy  and  ilavery.  This  pretended  African 
fpeech  was  an  excellent  parody  of  one  delivered  by  Mr. 
Jackfon  of  Georgia.  All  the  arguments  urged  in  favour 
of  negro  flavery,  are  applied  with  equal  force  to  juftify 
the  plundering  and  enflaving  the  Europeans.  It  affords, 
'.ii  the  fame  time,  a  dcmonftration  of  the  futility  of  the 
arguments  in  defence  of  the  flave  trade,  and  of  the 
ilrengch  of  mind  and  ingenuity  of  the.  author,  at  his  ad 
vanced  period  of  life.  It  furnifhed  too  a  no  lefs  con 
vincing  proof  of  his  power  of  imitating  the  ft}' Is  of  other 

times- 


thnes  and  nations,  than  his  celebrated  parable  againfb 
perfection.  And  as  the  latter  led  many  to  fearch  the 
fcriptures  with  a  view  to  find  it7  fo  the  forhier  cau'fed 
many  perfons  to  fearch  the  bo?k-ftores  and  libraries,  for 
the  work  from  which  it  was  fatd  to  be  extraded. 

In  the  beginning  of  April  following,  he  was  attacked 
with  a  fever  and  complaint  of  his  bread,  which  termi 
nated  his  exigence.  The  following  account  of  his  laft 
illnefs  was  written  by  his  friend  and  phyfician,  Dr. 
Jones. 

"  The  fton?,  with  which  he  had  been  airlifted  for  fev- 
era!  years,  had  for  the  lart  twelve  months  confined  him 
chiefly  to  his  bed  ;  and  during  the  extreme  painful  par- 
oxyfms,  he  was  obliged  to  take  large  dofes  of  laudanum 
to  mitigate  his  tortures — ftiJJ,  in  the  intervals  of  pain, 
he  not  only  araufed  himfelf  with  reading  and  converting 
with  his  fvunily,  and  a  few  friends  who  viiited  him,  but 
was  often  employed  in  doing  bufinefs  of  a  public  as  well 
as  private  nature,  with  various  perfons  who  waited  on 
him  for  that  puruofe  ;  and  in  every  inftance  difplayed, 
not  only  that  reads  nefs  and  difpoiition  of  doing  good, 
which  was  the  clifcinguifning  cbaracleriftic  of  his  life,, 
but  the  fulled  and  cleared  pofieffion  of  his  uncommon 
mental  abilities  >  and  not  unfrequently  indulged  hinvfelf 
in  thofeyV^.v  d?  cfprit  and  entertaining  anecdotes,  whieh 
were  the  delight  of  all  who  heard  him. 

"  About  iixteen  days  before  his  death,  he  was  feized 
with  a  feverifti  iadifpofition,  without  any  particular  fymp- 
toms  attending  it,  till  the  third  or  fourth  day,  when  he 
complained  of  a  pain  in  his  left  breaft,  which  fncreafed 
till  it  became  extremely  acute,  attended  with  a  cough 
and  laborious  breathing.  During  this  (late,  when  the 
fsverity  of  his  pains  fornetimes  drew  forth  a  groan  of 
complaint,,  he  would  obferve — that  he  was  afraid  he  did 
not  bear  them  as  he  ought — acknowledged  his  grateful 
ftnfe  of  the  many  bleiiings  he  had  received  from  the  fu- 
preme  Being,  who  had  raifed  him  from,  f  hi  all  and  low 
beginnings  to  fucH  high  raak  and  consideration  among 
men — and  made  no  doubt  but  his  prefent  afflictions  were 
kindly  intended  to  weaa  him  from  a  world,,  in  wMch  he 
L  3  was 


.1        "0       j 

was  no  longer  fit  to  act  the  part  afilgncd  him.  In  this 
frame  of  body  and  mind  he  continued  till  five  days  he- 
fore  his  death,  when  hi.,  pain  and  difficulty  of  breathing 
entirely  kft  him,  and  his  family  were  flattering  them- 
K  Ivcs  with  the  hopes  of  Lls  recover}-,  when  an  impofthu- 
rnation,  which  had  formed  irfdf  in  his  lungs,  fuddenly 
burfc,  and  difcliar.ged  a  great  quantity  of  matter,  which 
lie  continued  to  throw  up  while  he  had  fufiicient  ftrength 
to  do  it;  but,  as  that  failed,  the  organs  of  refpiration 
became  gradually  opprciFcd — a  ctilm  lethargic  tbate  fuc- 

eeeded and  on  the  i'th  of  April,  1790,  about  eleven 

o'clock  at  night,  he  quietly  expired,  cioiing  a  long  ur.d 
uieful  life  of  eight}'- lour  years  ar>d  three  months. 

*'  It  may  not  be  amifs  to  add  to  the  above  account, 
that  Dr.  Franklin,  in  the  year  17.35,,  had  a  fevere  pleu- 
rify,  which  terminated  in  aa  abfcefs  of  the  left  lobe  of 
his  lungs,  and  he  was  then  almoft  fuftocated  with  the 
quantity  and  fuddennefs  of  the  difcharge.  A  fecond  at-" 
tack  cf  a  fimilar  nature  happened  fome  years  after  this, 
from  which  he  foo:i  recovered,  and  divl  not  appear  to 
fiifFer  any  inconvenience  in  his  refpiration  from  thefe 
difeafes."  , 

The  following  epitaph  on  himfelf,  was  written  by 
him  many  years  previous  to  his  death  :. 

THE  BODY 

BENJAMIN   FRANKLIN,  Printer* 

(Like  ibt  cover  ofa?i  'Ad  buck , 

Its  contents  torn  oztt, 
Andjiript  of  ifs  lettering  and  gilding) 

Lies  btre  fosd for  worms  ; 

Yet  tat  work  itfeU  Jball  not  be  /«/?, 

i:Vr  it  -;.';///   '(as  hi'  bell,~oed)  appear  once  tr.sret 

In  a  r.c-^o 

.  '  vtire   be  an  tiff  I  edit lfoft } 
Cirretlcd  and  amended 

h 

^Lwt  AUTHOR, 


1*7 


Ex  TRACTS /row  the  laft  Will  and  Tefiqmtnt  vf 
Dr.  FRANKLIN. 

WITH  regard  to  my  books,  thole  I  had  in  France,  and  thofc 
I  left  in  Philadelphia,  being  now  allembled  together  herd  and" 
a  catalogue  made  of  them,  it  is  my  intention  to  difpoie  of  the 
j'ame  as  follows  : 

My  hiftory  of  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  in  fixty  or  feventf 
volumes  quarto,  I  give  to  the  philoibphical  fociety.  of  Philadel 
phia,  of  which  I  have  the  honour  to  be  prclident.  My  collec 
tion  in  folio  of  Les  Arts  ®"  Les  Meti-rs,  I  give  to  the  philofoph- 
Ical  ibciety,  cRabliihed  in  New- England,  of  which  I  am  a  merH~ 
bur.  My  quaru>  edition  of  the  fame  drts  and  Mttit-rst  1  give  • 
TO  the  library  compa«y  of  Philadelphia.  Such  and  fo  many  of 
my  books  as  I  fhali  mark  in  the  faid  catalogue  with  the  name 
of  niy  graudfon,  Benjamin  Franklin  BacUe,  I  do  hereby  give  to 
i\im  :  and  inch  and  ib  many  of  my  books,  as  I  ihall  mark  in 
the  f.iid  catalogue  with  the  name  of  my  gvandfon  William  Bache, 
I  do  hereby  ^ive  to  him  :  and  fuch  as  Ihall  be  marked  with  the 
name  at  Jonathan  Williams,..  I  hereby  give  to  my  coufia  of  that 
name.  The  rsikiue  and  remainder  of  all  my  books,  manu- 
fcripts  and  piper^,  I  do  give  to  my  grandibn  William  Temple 
'FrankJ  in-  My  (lure  ki  the  library  company  of  Philadelphia  I 
give  to  toy  grandibn  Benjamiu  Franklin  Bachc,  confiding  that 
he  will  permit  his  brothers  and  lifters  to  fhare  in  the  ule  of  it. 

I  svas  b^rn  in  Hoft>n,  Nc\v-Hngla»fl,  and  owe  my  firft  in- 
iluidions  in .  lite-uture  to  the  tree  grummar-ichooh  eltablillied 
there.  I  tlierefore  give  one  hundred  pounds  fterling  to  my  ex- 
ctfutois,  to  be  by  them,  the  furvivors  or  furvivor  of  them,  paid 
»\cf  to  the  managers  or  directors  of  the  free  fchools  in  my  na 
tive  town  of  Bofton.  to  be  by  them,  or  the  perfon  or  perfema 
•who  lhall  have  the  Juperintendance  and  management  of  the  faid 
fchoois,  put  oitt  to  iiitereft,  and  fo  continued  at  inte^reil  forever  ; 
which  ititeieft  annually  tliall  be  laid  out  in  iilver  incdals,  and 
given  as  honorary  rewards  annually  by  the  diretlors  of  the  fuici 
i'ree  foivjols,  for  tha  encouragement  of  fcholarfhip  in  the  laid 
fell  >..>l$,  b-j'.on^ing  TO  the  faid  town*  in  fuch  manner  as  to  the 
difcretion  of  the  lele^men  of  th^:  laid  town  lhall  feem  meet. 

Oat  of  the  i ilary  that  may  venr-un  due  to  rne»  as  prefident  of 
the  (late,  I  give  the  *lbm  of  two  thoufand  ponads  to  my  execu-> 
tors i  to  be  by  them,  the  furvivors  or  iu-'vivor  of  them,  paid 
over  to  fuch  perfon  or  perfons  as  the  legiflatme  of  this  flate,  by 
an  a<fi  of  ailembly,  fhall  appoint  to  receive  the  fame»  in  trufti  to 
be  employed  for  making  the  Schuyikill  navigable. 

During  the  number  of  years  I  was  in  bufioefs,  as  a  ftationer» 
printer  and  podmafter,  a  great  many  fmall  fums  became  due  to 
jcc,  for  books?  advertileiiientsi  poitagc  of  letters*  and  other 


matters,  which  were  not  coile&ed  when  in  1757  I  was  fent  by 
the  afiembly  to  England  ai>  their  agent,  and  by  fublequent  ap 
pointments  continued  there  till  1775 — \vlien,  on  my  icturn,  I 
was  immediately  engaged  in  the  aiiiiirs  of  congrefs,  and  fent  to 
France  in  1776,  where  I  remained  nine  years,  not  returning  till 
1785 — and  the  faid  debts  not  being  demanded  in  -.fuch  a  length 
of  time,  are  become  in  a  manner  oblbl«te>  yet  are  nevertheless 
juftly  due.  Thefe,  as  they  a^e  ftated  in  my  great  folio  ledger* 
E,  I  bequeath  to  the  contributors  of  the  Pennsylvania  hcfpital  ; 
hoping  thak  thofe  debtors,  and  the  defendants  ot  inch  as  are 
rleceafed,  who  now,  as  I  find,  make  loins  difficulty  of  i'atistying 
fuch  antiquated  demands  as  juft  debts,  may  however  be- induced 
to  pay  or  give  them  as  charity  to  that  excellent  ioftitution.  I 
am  fenfible  that  much  muft  inevitably  be  loft  ;  but  I  hops 
Something  coafiderable  ra«y  be  recovered.  It  is  pofiibie  too 
that  fome  otthe  parties  charged  may  have  exiting  old  unsettled 
accounts  againft  me  ;  in  which  cafe  the  managers  of  the  laid 
hofpital  will  allow  and  deduit  the  amount,  and  pay  the  balance, 
if  they  rind  it  againft  me. 

I  requeft  my  friends  Henry  Hill,  Efq.  John  Jay,  Efq..  Frand* 
Hopkinfon,  Elq.  and  Mr.  Edward  Duificld,  of  Bonfield,  m 
Philadelphia  county,  to  be  the  executors  of  this  my  laft  will 
and  tf.'Kinent,  and  I  hereby  nominate  and  appoint  them  for 
that  purpcfe. 

I  would  have  my  body  buried  with  as  little  ex  pence  or  cere 
mony  as  may  be. 

Philadelphia,  July  17,  1788. 


Couici  i.. 

I  Benjamin  Franklin,  in  the  foregoing  GT  annexed  laft  will 
and  tcftawieut,  having  further  coniidered  the  fame,  do  think 
proper  to  make  and  pubiilh  the  following  codicil,  or  addition 
thereto  : 

It  having  long  been  a  fixed  political  opinion  of  mine,  that  ia 
a  democratical  ftate  there  ought  to  be  no  offices  of  profit,  for  the 
reafoas  I  had  jjiven  in  an  article  of  my  drawing  in  our  conftitu- 
tion,  it  was  my  intention,  when  I  accepted  the  office  of  prefi- 
dent,  to  devote  the  appointed  falary  to  fomc  public  ufe  :  Ac- 
cordiogly  I  had  already,  before  I  made  my  laft  will,  in  July  Jaft, 
given  large  Aims  of  it  to  colleges,  fchools,  building  of  churches, 
ice.  and  in  that  will  I  bequeathed  two  thoufand  pounds  more  to 
the  it'ita,  for  the  purpole  of  making  the  Schuylkill  navigable  ; 
but  underftanding  fince,  that  fuch  a  fum  will  do  but  little  to- 
\vards  accomplifhing  fuch  a  work,  and  that  the  project  is  not. 
likely  to  be  undertaken  for  many  years  to  come — and  having  en 
tertained  another  ides»  which  I  hope  may  be  fovmdi  more  exten- 

lively 


fivety  ufeful,  I  do  hereby  ravoke  and  annul  the  bequeft,  and  d»- 
red  tiiat  the  certificates  I  have  ibr  what  remains  due  to  me  of 
that  falary,  be  Ibid  towards  railing  the  lu.n  of  two  ihjufanci 
pounds  iterlkig,  to  be  clit'pol'ed  of  as  I  am  now  about  to  order. 

It  lias  been  an  ov/iuioi:,  that  he  \vho  receives  an  eftate  from 
his  anceftors,  is  under  ionia  obligation  to  tranl'mit  the  fame  to 
poilerity.  This  obligation  lic-j  not  OK  ine>  who  never  inherited 
a  (hilling  from  any  iruccftor  or  relation.  I  ihall,  however,  if  it- 
is  not  diminished  by  i">me  accident  before  my  death,  leave  a 
eonfiderable  cftate  ainon^  my  defccndants  arid  relations.  The 
above  obfervation  is  made  tncr-ly  as  i'ome  apology  to  my  family* 
for  my  making  bequeits  that  do  not  appear  to  have  any  imruo 
tliate  relation  to  their  advantage. 

1  was  born  in  Boiton,  New-England,  and  owe  my  firft  inftruc- 
tions  in  literature  to  the  free  grammar- fchools  eftabliiked  there. 
1  have  therefore  eoniidcred  thole  ichools  in  my  will. 

But  I  am  under  obligations  to  the  ftate  of  MaO'achufetts,  for 
having,  unafked,  appointed  me  formerly  their  agent,  with  r. 
Irmdfome  i alary »  which  continued  fome  years  :  and  although  I 
jivc;Hentaliy  loll  in  their  fervice,  by  tranlmitting  governoL 
f  iutchinfonjs  letters,  much  more  than  the  amount  of  what  they 
gave  me,  I  do  not  think  that  ought  in  the  leaft  to  dirninifh  my 
gratitude.  I  have  eonlklered  thai,  amoiifj  artifans,  good  ap 
prentices  are  moil  likely  to  make  good  citrrens  ;  and  having 
myfelf  been  bred  to  a  manual  art,  printing,  in  my  native  town, 
and  afterwards  aiTifted  to  let  up  my  bufinels  in  Philadelphia  by 
Kind  loans  of  motley  from  two  friends  there,  which  was  the 
foundation  of  my  fortune,  and  of  all  the  utility  in  life  that  may; 
be  afcribed  to  me — I  with  to  be  ufeful  even  after  my  death,  if 
pollibie,  in  forming  and  advanciwg  other  young  men,  tint  may 
be  ferviceabie  to  their  country  in  both  thefe  towns. 

To  this  end  I  rfevote  two  thoufand  pounds  Hfirlinj;,  which  I 
give,  one  thoufand  thereof  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of 
Bofton,  in  Mail'achufetts,  and  the  other  one  thoufand.  to  the  in 
habitants  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  in  truft,  to  and  lor  the 
ufes,  intents,  and  purpofes,  herein  after  mentioned  and  de 
clared. 

The  faid  fum  of  one  thoufand  pounds  fterling,  if  accepted  by 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Bofton,  ihall  be  managed  under 
the  direction  of  the  feledhnen,  united  with  the  minifter*  or  th* 
oldeft  epifcopalian,  congregational,  and  j>relbyterun  churchefc 
in  that  town,  who  are  to  let  out  ths  Lime  upon  interest  at  iivt 
per  cent,  per  annum,  to  fuch  young  m  irried  artificers,  under  the 
agy  of  twenty-rive  years,  as  have  farved  an  apprenticeOiip  in  the 
laid  town,  and  faithfully  fulfilled  the  duties  required  in  theic 
indentures,  fo  as  to  obtain  a  good  moral  character,  from  at  leait, 
two  refpedtable  citizens,  who  are  willing  to  become  furctiei  in- 
a  bond,  with  the  Applicants,  for  the  repayment  of  the  money  fo 
isiu,  with  inteteffci  according  to  the  tarns  iiersin  after  prefcrtb- 


I    130    j 

ed  ;  all  which  bonds  are  to  be  taken  for  Spanifh.  milled  dollars* 
or  the  value  thereof  in  current  gold  coin  :  and  the  manager  (hall 
keep  a  bound  book*  or  books,  wherein  Ihall  be  entered  the  names 
of  thole  who  Ihall  apply  for,  and  reserve  the  benefit  ot  this  in- 
flitution,  and  of  their  furetics,  together  with  the  Anns  lent,  the 
dates,  and  other  neceflary  and  proper  records  reflecting  the  bu- 
fmefs  and  concerns  of  this  inftitution  :  and  as  thefe  loans  are 
intended  to  affift  young  married  artificers  in  fettmg  up  their  bu- 
iinels,  they  are  to  be  proportioned  by  the  dii'cretion  of  the  ma 
nagers,  fo  as  not  tn  exceed  fixty  pounds  fteriing  to  one  perfont 
jior  to  be  lefs  than  fifteen  pounds. 

And  if  the  number  of  appliers  fo  entitled  fhould  be  fo  large 
as  that  the  fum  will  not  fuifice  to  afford  to  each  as  much  as 
might  otherwife  not  be  improper,  the  proportion  to  each  mail 
be  diminiihed,  fo  as  to  aiford  to  every  ort«  fome  afliftance. 
Thefe  aids  may  therefore  be  fmall  at  firft,  but  as  the  capital  in- 
cseafes  by  the  accumulated  intereft,  they  will  be  more  ample. 
And  in  order  to  ferve  as  many  as  poflible  in  their  turn,  as  well 
as  to  make  the  repay  mentof  the  principals  borrowed  more  ealy, 
each  borrower  Ihall  be  obliged  to  pay  with  the  yearly  intereft 
one  tenth  part  of  the  principal  j  which  fums  of  principal  and 
intereft  fo  paid  in,  Ihall  be  again  let  out  to  freth  borrowers. 
And  it  is  prefumed,  that  there  will  be  always  found  in  Bofton 
virtuous  and  benevolent  citizens,  willing  to  beitow  a  part  of 
their  time  in  doing  good  to  the  riling  generation,  by  fuperia- 
tending  and  managing  this  inftitution  gratis  ;  it  is  hoped  that 
no  pan  of  the  money  will  at  any  time  lie  dead*  or  be  diverted 
to  other  purpofes,  but  be  continually  augmenting  by  theintereft> 
i"n  which  cafe  there  may  in  time  be  more  than  the  eccafion  ifl 
Bofton  ihall  require  :  and  then  fome  may  be  fpartd  to  the  neigh 
bouring  or  other  towns  in  the  faid  ftate  of  MailachufettSj  which 
may  deiire  to  have  it,  fuch  towns  engaging  io  pay  pun&ual'y 
the  intereft,  and  fueh  proportions  of  the  principal,  annually,  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  town  ot  Bofton  :  if  this  plan  is  executed, 
and  fucceeds,  as  projected,  without  interruption,  for  one  hun 
dred  years,  the  fum  will  be  the/n  one  hundred  and  thirty-one 
thoufand  pounds  ;  of  which  I  would  have  the  managers  of  the 
donation  to  the  tewn  of  Eoflon  then  lay  out,  at  their  difcretiom 
one  hundred  thoufand  pounds  in  public  works,  which  may  be 
judged  of  moil  general  utility  to  the  inhabitants  5  fuch  as  forti 
fications,  bridges,  aqueducts,  public  buildings,  baths,  pave 
ments,  or  whatever  may  make  living  in  the  town  more  conve 
nient  to  its  people,  and  render  it  more  agreeable  to  Grangers  re- 
forting  thither  for  health,  or  a  temporary  residence.  The  re 
maining  thirty-one  thoufand  pounds  I  would  have  continued 
to  be  let  out  to  intereft,  in  the  manner  above  directed,  for  one 
hundred  years  ;  as  I  hope  it  will  have  been  found  that  the 
inftitution  has  had  a  good  effed  on  the  conduct  of  yont^h, 
And  been  of  fervice  to  rnaiiy  worthy  characters  and  ufeml 


i     13  *     J 

At  the  end  of  this  feceiul  term)  if  no  unforfunatc 
accident  has  prevented  the  operafion,  the  fum  will  be  lour 
millions  and  fixty-one  thoufand  pounds  fieri  ing  ;  of  which 
I  leave  one  million  and  fixty-one  thoufand  pounds  to  the  difpo- 
fition  and  management  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  l>of- 
ton,  and  the  three  millions  to  the  difpofirion  of  the  government 
of  the  ftate  ;  not  p-efuming  to  carry  my  views  any  farther. 

All  thediredions  herein  given  ref  petting  the  difpofition  and 
management  of  the  donation  to  the  inhabitants  of  Boiion,  I 
•would  hav*  obferved  refpecting  that  to  me  inhabitants  of  Phi 
ladelphia;  only,  as  Philadelphia  is  incorporated,  I  request  the 
corporation  of  that  city  to  undertake  rhe  management,  agreeable 
to  the  faid  directions  :  and  1  do  hereby  velt  them  with  full  and 
ample  powers  for  that  purpofe.  And  having  conlldered  that  the 
covering  its  ground-plat  with  builuings  and  pavements,  which 
carry  off"  moil  rain,  and  prevent  its  foaking  into  the  earth,  and 
renewing  and  purifying  the  fprings,  whence  the  water  of  the 
\vells  muft  gradually  grow  worfe,  and  in  time  be  unfit  for  ufe, 
as  I  find  has  happened  in  all  old  cities ;  I  recommend,  that,  at 
the  end  of  the  tirft  hundred  years,  if  not  done  before,  the  corpo 
ration  of  the  city  employ  a  part  of  the  hundred  thoufand  pounds 
in  bringing  by  pipes  the  water  of  Wifi'ahickon-creek  into  the 
town,  fo  as  to  fupply  the  inhabitants,,  which  I  apprehend  may 
be  done  without  great  difficulty,  the  level  of  that  creek  being 
jmucii  above  that  of  the  city,  and  may  be  made  higher  by  a 
dam.  1  alfo  recommend  making  the  Schuylkill  completely 
navigable.  At  the  end  of  the  fe^ond  hundred  years,  I  would 
have  the  difpofition  of  the  four  millions  and  fixty-one  thoufand 
pounds  divided  between  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  of  Philadel 
phia  and  the  government  of  Pennfylvania»  in  the  fame  manner 
as  herein  directed  with  rafpec'l  to  that  of  the  inhabitants  of  Bof- 
ton  and  the  government  of  Mafl'achufetts.  It  is  my  defire  that 
this  inftitution  fhould  take  place,  and  begin  to  operate  within 
one  year  after  my  deceafe  ;  for  which  purpofe  due  notice  fhould 
be  publicly  given,  previous  to  the  expiration  of  that  year,  that 
thofe  for  whole  benefit  this  eftablifhment  is  intended  may  make 
their  refpeclive  applications  ;  and  I  hereby  direct  my  executors, 
the  fui  vivors  and  furvivor  of  them,  within  fix  months  after  my 
decejfe,  to  pay  over  the  faid  fum  of  two  thoufand  pounds  fter 
ling  to  fuch  perfons  as  (hall  be  duly  appointed  by  the  felect 
men  of  Bofton,  and  the  corporation  of  Philadelphia,  to  receive 
and  take  charge  of  their  rcfpedive  fums  of  one  thoufand  pounds 
each  for  the  purpofes  atbrefaid.  Contidering  the  accidents  to 
which  all  human  alfairs  and  projects  are  fubjedt  in  fuch  a  length 
oi  time,  I  have  perhaps  too  much  flattered  myfelf  with  a  vain 
fancy,  that  theie  difpofitions,  if  carried  into  execution,  will  be 
continued  without  interruption,  and  have  the  effects  propofed  ; 
I  hope,  however,  that,  if  the  inhabitants  of  the  two  cities  ihould 
not  think  fit  to  undertake  the  execution-,  thsy  will  at  ieail  ac 
cept 


tlie  offer  ef  thefe  Donations,  as  a  mark  of  rny  gc.rtl  xvi*?>. 
token  of  rny  gratitude,  and  teftcmoiiy  of  my  defire  to  be  uitTul 
lo  them  even  after  m,y  departure.  I  "wfch,  indeed,  tint  they 
jmay  both  undertake  to  endeavour 'the  execution  of  my  project* 
becaufc  1  think,  that,  though  unforefeen  difficulties  m;iy  arife, 
expedients  will  be  found  to  remove  them,  and  the  fchenie  be 
fownd  praflicablc.  It  one  of  them  accepts  the  money  with  the 
conditions,  and  the  other  refufes,  my  will,  then  ii,  that  both 
-fums  be  given  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  accepting;  the 
-whole  to  be  applied  to  the  fame  purpofes,  and  under  the  fame 
regulations  direded  for  the  1 '  narate  parts  ;  and  if  both  refute, 
the  money  remains  of  courfe  in  the  mals  of  my  efiate,  and  it  is 
to  be  difpofed  of  therewitii.  according  to  my  v\ill  made  the 
feventeenth  day  of  July,  1701%. 

My  fine  crab-tree  walking-ftick,  v.'ith  a  geld  head  curioufly 
tyrou^ht  in  the  form  of  the  cap  of  Liberty,  1  give  to  Biy  friend, 
and  the  friend  of  mankind,  General  WaCnington.  If  it  \tiie  a 
,  he  has  merited  it,  and  would  become  it. 


Bfe 


